One Year Anniversary
by stress
Summary: Part III of the Soul Mates Series: When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.
1. Author's Note

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

**Disclaimer**: As I've said countless times before, and I'm sure I'll say it countless times again, I, _sadly_, do not own any of the newsies. They are © to Disney, as hard as I try to get them for myself. I do, however, own Jess/Stress, Rip, Spindle and the O'Connor's. Any other character is property of the author I've borrowed them from.

**Author's Note**: It's about time that I've re-uploaded this story. Like I did with Cuts Like A Knife, I changed the New Yawk accent to English, as well as tying the stories a bit closer together. Other than that, the story is the same – and I hope you enjoy it. This is the first completed fiction I ever wrote, and I am extremely proud of it's existence.

**Soul Mates Series**: This is the third installment in _Stress & Jack: Soul Mates_. It is preceded by Cuts Like A Knife (I) & Secrets Behind the Lies (II) -- it is followed by Can't Keep Running (IV), in case you would like to follow the story further.


	2. Character List

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Author's Note:**

I'm just adding this quick note to clear up any confusion that the reader of this story might have or as they get into this story. Whenever you see a **bolded** **location**, it signals the beginning of a new segment. In each segment, it is showing the perspective of a different group of characters. This story resolves around the main story of Jack and Stress and how their friends played a role in their getting together. Some parts of the story might not make any sense, but it will if you look at the picture as a whole.

**Character List:**

Stress : main female protagonist

Princess : Stress is telling her the story

Grace : Stress's close childhood friend from her days in Queens

Bookie : Race's girlfriend; mad at Jack.

Mushie : Mush's girlfriend; siding with Bookie.

Martini : Blink's girlfriend; has a plan with Stripes to get Stress and Jack together.

Stripes : Spot's girlfriend; has a plan with Martini to get Stress and Jack together.

Satine : Sarah's sidekick; doesn't want her friend hurt.

These girls are unaware of anything that's happening but are in the story to show their every day occurrences while their friends play match-maker and un-match-maker:

Blaze : dating Bumlets.

Slash : dating Dutchy.

Wish : dating Skittery.

The 'Singles' : Midnight, Gip, Holiday, Reeny & Bittah.


	3. Chapter 1

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

. August 8th 1900 .

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

"Can ya believe that? I sure know that I can't! An entire year already. And let me tell you, I'm surprised I got anything to remember at all. If you would've told me a year and a half ago that I would be this giddy over just a guy... Well, Jack ain't just a guy... Anyways, this has probably been the best year of me life. For the first time since I left Queens the first time over 5 years ago, I have someone that ain't shy about showing me that he cares and I actually feel the same way about him..," the tall, older-looking, girl sighed, shaking her head of long blondish-brown curls, while her eyes, so resembling the color of those of a cat, with the curiosity to rival a cat behind them, were fixed in a dreamy gaze.

A younger girl, wearing a black derby over her straight dark blond hair, stopped playing the flute for a second to address her friend. "Stress, if you don't mind me asking, what the heck are you talking about?" Princess asked, speaking clearly and without a New York accent, something her mother had taught her to do, years ago. At 16 she was two years younger than Stress, but had no problems making sure her voice was heard. She began to feel worried for she had never seen her friend look so out of it.

Stress laughed at her as she waved her hands as a gesture to brush aside Princess's worries. "Ya know, I'm always forgetting that you're new here at the lodging house, Princess."

"You don't have to rub it in," scowled Princess as her normally greenish-blue eyes momentarily flashed grey. She had just found her way to the Bottle Alley Lodging House a little over two months ago, yet she had gotten to know some of the girls well. Come to think of it, she had gotten to know some of the guys down at the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House pretty well too. Thinking of a certain someone in particular Princess blushed.

Stress laughed again, noticing Princess's red face. "You wouldn't happen to be thinking of a certain someone, are ya now?" she said knowingly.

Princess turned an even deeper shade of red. "As I recall, we were talking about your sappy state, not mine!" she snapped as she threw herself down on a bottom bunk.

"Well, I think that I got a right to be sappy today," Stress said, sinking down on a neighboring bunk in order to face Princess as she spoke.

"So, do you plan on telling me what is so important about today or do I have to tickle it out of you?" Princess asked, grabbing the red feather out of the brim of her black derby and holding it up as if it were a weapon.

"O.K., O.K., I give. Like I was saying before, it's mine and Jack's one year anniversary," Stress said, looking at her expectantly.

"Umm-- O.K., I'm a little confused then. I have seen you with Cowboy for every day and half the nights since I have been here and the two of you never fail to turn my stomach with your lovey-dovey ways. Why did you say before that you are surprised that you made it?".

"Wait a sec, Princess. What time is it? I promised Jack that I would be ready to celebrate before two." Both Stress and Jack had decided to take the day off from hawking the headlines so that they wouldn't be bothered on their special day.

Princess looked down at the ladies watch that she always wore on a string around her neck. "It's only ten now. Why is he making you wait until two if you are going to spend the day together?" she inquired, looking puzzled.

"Dunno. Jack said that it was a surprise. Anyways, since it is only ten now, I have plenty of time to tell you me story. Ya wanna hear it?'

"Oh, definitely," Princess responded as she brushed her blonde hair out of her face and got settled in on Midnight's bunk. She loved listening to the older girls tell stories for two reasons: She felt like she was being accepted into the lodging house family and it also provided her with the knowledge of other's experiences.

"O.K., well I warn you now, it's kinda long. Are you sure?" Stress questioned, and continued once Princess nodded enthusiastically, knocking her black derby to the floor, "O.K., well it all started about two weeks before the big strike last summer. I had been friends with most of the Manhattan newsies for about four years, ever since I had left Queens when I was thirteen. Up until last summer, when Jack and I were both seventeen years old, we was the best of friends and had been for the four years I have been in Manhattan. A lot of our friends had tried to get us together many times over the years, especially Martini and Stripes." Stress paused to stretch while Princess laughed out loud. She knew how Martini and Stripes were, especially together.

"Now I admit that when I first met Jack, I had a wee bit of a crush on him, but it never blossomed into anything. And since we had become such good buddies, it was fine. As I grew older, though, every now and then I would feel different around him. But since in the entire four years I had known him he had never once acted like he liked me as something more, I usually just shrugged it off. When I look back now, after this past year, I laugh. I never once thought that it was odd that in the four years that I knew him he ain't never had a serious girl. I also never thought twice about the jealousy I would feel when I would catch Jack sitting with the guys catcalling to the pretty girls in their fancy dresses while all I had was my faded grey slacks and matching newsies hat. I never noticed the many times that Jack would all of a sudden become Mister Overprotective when someone paid me any attention-- be it good or bad. Now, of course, I realize what all that meant, but hey, I had spent me entire friendship with Jack ignoring it; why would then be any different? Besides, I've been really hurt before and I wasn't gonna let my heart open to be trampled. Last time that I let that happen, I ended up with a four inch scar on my shoulder," Stress ended her last sentence bitterly and took a second to compose herself.

Princess quickly tried to change the subject. "I can't believe you two. You didn't have enough brains between the two of you to realize that you had it bad for each other?" she asked, figuring that if she insulted Stress it might get her to continue the story.

It worked.

Stress laughed. "Well, I guess not. Now ya need to know a little bit about me past before I can continue. But listen good, cause this'll be the last time ya hear me speak about it, O.K.?".

Princess, noticing the serious look on Stress's face, quickly nodded. Stress was known for not giving much detail about her past. Princess couldn't wait to hear what the older girl kept concealed.

"O.k., well I grew up with me mother and me father in a little town north of Dublin. Maybe you heard of it, Sligo? Anyways, the winter after I turned six years old, me mother got real sick. The night before she died she gave me this here silver chain", Stress said as she fingered a delicate silver necklace that barely was visible under the white blouse that she wore, "and told me never to forget her. She never woke up the next morning. Well me father was heartbroken, but he knew he had a young daughter to raise. He worked hard all that winter to try to make money for us to go to America, but he never got anywhere close to getting as much money as we needed. Instead, one spring day, we stowed away on a large passenger ship. We was discovered hiding out a few days into the voyage. Instead of being thrown overboard for sneaking onto the ship, the captain made us work for our fare. But that mean old captain was so mad at me father for hiding out that he worked him too hard. Three days before we touched shore, me father died. Luckily, an elderly Irish couple, the O'Connor's, from a neighboring village, offered to take me with them to find a place to live. There I stayed, in Queens with them, for seven years until I was forced to leave and I headed for Manhattan. But I never forgot the O'Connor's and I visited them whenever I could, at least once a year. Every now and then, one of me friends from Queens would visit me here. Well one day last summer, when I was sitting in this same room, talking to Holiday just like I'm talking to ya now, my friend Grace came storming in. She had came all of day way from Queens to tell me that Mrs. O'Connor was dying and that her last request was to say goodbye. She was so much like a mother to me that I had to go." Again Stress paused, this time to wipe away a tear.

"Well, I quickly packed up me things and said goodbye to all of me friends. I spent a month over in Queens, watching me back, of course. Maybe some other time I'll tell you about the time that I lived in Queens, but not today. All you need to know is that I got a couple of people over there who ain't too fond of me. Anyways, Mrs. O'Connor passed first, the second day of me visit. Mr. O'Connor passed on two weeks later. The doctor's said it was because of his heart, but I know that he died because it was broken. Me and me pal Grace stayed another two weeks to sort everything out, and then we was on our way back to Manhattan. Grace had decided that it would be a good idea for her to come back here with me. Besides, she always wanted to make it as an actress and we figured that she'd have a better chance here in Manhattan then back in Queens. Now this is where all the drama in the story starts. Ya know all about the strike, right? Well I happen to miss the entire thing while I was over in Queens but I heard from all my little birdies that Jack and his new partner, Dave, had gone up against the evil Mister Pulitzer, and won. I couldn't wait to come home and congratulate Jack and tell him something important. I realized while I was in Queens that sometime-- I don't know when, but, heck, for all I know it coulda been when we first met and he saved me from me past-- I had sincerely fallen in love with him. Grace helped me realize that the best thing for me to do was to get it off me chest and not worry about what he was gonna say. I agreed, so I was all prepared to let him know how I felt. The only thing I wasn't prepared for was Jack's surprise-- he had gotten himself a girl...


	4. Chapter 2

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

. August 3rd 1899 .

****

**On the way to the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

****

"Oh, Grace, I'm so nervous. What if he laughs in me face? Or worse, what if he cries? I can't go through with this," Stress said fiddling with her black suspenders as she turned to face her companion, a shorter girl with waist-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Don't worry, you got all day to tell him. First ya have to introduce me to all of ya friends, especially this Gip ya keep talking about," Grace responded as she smoothed a wrinkle out of her red undershirt. "The best way to persuade someone to do something," she thought to herself, "is to pretend like it ain't no big deal."

"O.K., well here's the lodging house. Home sweet home," Stress said, pointing at a sign that read "The Bottle Alley Lodging House". Both girls began to giggle as they entered through the door and ran past Mrs. Cook, the owner of the house, galloped up the stairs and skipped into the bunkroom.

Upon entering, Stress and Grace saw twelve girls all sitting around, talking and looking quite serious. One of the girls, a fairly tall girl with pale skin, freckles, long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, noticed the pair as they entered and jumped up to give Stress a hug, with the rest of the group quickly following suit.

Stress laughed as she fell over, not prepared for the body weight of eleven girls to be thrown at her. "It's nice to see you too."

"Guys, let's let her get up so that we're can here all about her adventures in Queens. And look, she even brought a little tag-along back here with her." Another girl, shorter, with dark brown hair falling about an inch below her ears, laughed wickedly as her hazel eyes twinkled.

Stress gave her a playful shove while speaking to Grace. "Don't pay any attention to her. That's Bookie, Racetrack's girl. Now before I go through the rest of the introductions, girls, this is Grace. She's gonna be living with us for a while. Now, Grace, I'm gonna introduce you to the girls now. Pay attention to who goes with what guy cause ya gotta respect the relationships around here, k? Good. This girl right here is Stripes and Spot belongs to her."

"Aww, Stress. Ya know as well as I do that Conlon don't belong to no one but himself. I just have the honor of being his girl," said a girl dressed all in black with chin length blonde hair, as everyone around her laughed at her sarcastic nature.

"Whatever ya say, Stripes. Grace, this girl next to Stripes is Mushie. You'll be able to remember who her guy is real easy. Ya see, her guy's name is Mush."

A younger looking girl ,with medium length brown hair and big brown eyes, giggled. "Ain't it cute? Race gave me the name when I first came to New York and spent all of me time trying to get Mush to notice me. He thought I was like a girl version of Mush and began to call me Mushie and the name just stuck."

Stress pointed at three similiar sized girls sitting on the same bunk - a fair-skinned girl with long black hair and dark brown eyes, a tan girl with brown hair with blonde and red streaks pulled back in a braid, and a girl with dull blue eyes and long, wavy, dirty blonde hair. "This is Wish, she goes with Skittery... Slash , Dutchy's girl... and Blaze, she's dating Bumlets. Ya wanna watch out for Blaze, cause she's always stealing people's hats."

While Wish and Slash both grinned and said hello to Grace, Blaze proudly stood and said, "I have about twenty-five hats in me collection so far. The first hat in me collection is Bumlets. That's how I met him ya know."

The twelve other girls in the lodging house (all but Grace) groaned and said, "We know!".

Blaze sat back down and began to pout. "Well, Grace didn't know."

Ignoring Blaze, Stress continued. "Now then we have a group here in the house that we call the 'Singles'. We have Midnight..," she said pointing to a medium sized girl with thick brown hair pulled back from her face in a ponytail, "...Skitterina, but we call her Reeny..," now pointing to a girl with short auburn hair and hazel-green eyes, "...Bittah..," a girl with green eyes and short, straight blonde hair tucked under a grey cap looked up and smiled at Grace, "...Holiday..," Stress continued pointing to a girl with tan skin, emerald eyes and long, wavy, chestnut hair, "...and last but not least, Gypsy, also known as Gip." The tallest girl in the room, with an olive skin tone, bold, dark blue eyes and long, wavy, dark hair, got up and clapped Grace on the shoulder.

Grace, taken aback by Gip's gesture, quickly recovered and asked, "Why are you called the 'Singles'?".

Before anyone had a chance to answer her question, Stress cut in. "It's 'cause none of them have a permanent guy, that's why."

Gip countered, her bold eyes flashing. "That's why you the leader of the 'Singles' in our lodging house, eh, Stress?"

Stress made an over exaggerated "Shhh!" motion. "What are ya trying to do Gip? Embarrass me in front of all of the girls?" she asked giggling along with the rest of the girls in the room. "Now, I think I introduced you to everyone--"

"Hey, Stress. How could ya forget your best friend?"

"Just seeing if you were paying attention. Grace, this wacky girl who launched the attack on us when we entered the room is Martini. She goes with Blink. See the hat she's wearing? She stole it from him."

Martini took a bow as Blaze said loudly as she stood up again, "I taught her to do that, ya know."

Now all thirteen of the girls in the lodging house (this time including Grace) said in unison,"We know!"

As Blaze sat down next to Slash again on the bunk, Grace continued to stand by the door, her head spinning from all of the introductions. What Stress said next didn't help at all. "Now I'm gonna take you down to meet the guys and learn which guy belongs to which girl. Any of you wanna come?" Stress asked the other girls.

"Nah, we're good. See ya later Stress. We really did miss ya," said Holiday as the other girls all called out their goodbyes and waved Stress and Grace off. Stress laughed as she grabbed the hand of an unwilling-to-move Grace and began to drag her out of the lodging house.

As soon as they were sure that they were gone, the other girls rekindled the conversation they were having when Stress and Grace walked in.

"Do ya think we should 've told her?" asked Stripes for the hundredth time since the strike had ended two weeks earlier.

"No, not at all. I'm sure she's gonna want to here the news from Jack himself," answered Slash, hitting her hand against the edge of the bunk she was sitting on, for emphasis.

"I hope that you're right," added Reeny, not sounding at all convinced.

"Well, just to be on the safe side, I'm gonna go tell Race. You guys know what a big mouth he has. He'll be sure to tell Jack that Stress is back in town. At least this'll prepare him a little. Remember, our number one goal is to make sure that none of our girls get hurt. Us girls always come first before the guys, right?" asked Bookie, making sure that none of the girls was going to give her a hard time about tipping Jack off. She couldn't wait to see him squirm. She was extremely pleased when every girl in the bunkroom nodded enthusiastically and replied, "Right!"


	5. Chapter 3

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**At the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

"Hey Jack? Jack! Hey Cowboy, where ya hiding?" called the fairly short, dark-haired boy, whose one hand was holding a cigar while the other was grasping Bookie's hand, as he ran up the stairs leading into the boys bunkroom.

"What do ya want Race? Right now I'm waiting for Dave to come back from selling the last of our papes so we can go meet Sarah for lunch at Tibby's," answered a tall, handsome boy of seventeen, as he worked on tying the red bandana around his neck.

After catching her breath for a minute, Bookie pushed aside Race, her hazel eyes gleaming. "Oh, look it's the Cowboy, getting his self all dolled up for his girl, I mean now that's she's back from _Queens_," she said sweetly as she subtly emphasized the word Queens.

Jack stopped fumbling with the knot in his bandana and paled. "What do ya mean, Bookie?"

"Just what I said, Jack," she purred as she walked past him to sit on Race's lower bunk.

Race, noticing the dumbfounded look on Jack's face, cut in. "It's true, Jack. Bookie told me and I brought her here with me to tell ya, but we actually ran into her on our way here. Stress came back this morning and is looking for ya. She said that she was gonna stop by the lodging house after she and her new friend got a quick bite to eat at Tibby's," he said as he gestured his hands frantically.

Jack sat down on Snipeshooter's bunk, absentmindedly running his hand through his thick, brown hair. "Well, I never expected her back so soon. This is great, I guess. I mean, I did miss her. She's me best friend..," he said more to himself than to Race and Bookie, as he, once again, stood up and began to pace around the bunkroom.

"Yeah, yeah, we know. We all missed her. But at least none of us went out and got ourselves a girl while she was gone, eh, Cowboy?", Bookie spat out as she stood to face Jack. He towered over her tiny 5'1" frame, but physical size didn't matter. Jack was stuck and it made him shrink down to two inches tall. "So whatcha gonna do, Jack?" she asked, trying to get him to face what was happening. "Eh, ya got any plans now, mister strike-leader?"

"Bookie--", Race said, shocked. This was so unlike Bookie, she was usually so good-natured; every one, including himself, loved her. He had never seen her acting this way before and it worried him.

Meanwhile, Bookie stood there and glared at Jack, indignantly. She had not forgiven him for turning scab during the strike. While Race and the others forgave him at the drop of a hat, Bookie wasn't letting him off the hook so easily. She wanted to make him squirm and she figured that his present situation would do the trick perfectly. "C'mon, Jack-- We all know how ya really feel about Stress. You've been mooning over her for years now, only she's too dense to see it. But I ain't. And I sure as hell know that she is crazy about ya too. What I don't get is, Jacky-boy, that the second she's outta the picture, you go out and gets yourself a girl. What are ya trying to do, break her heart? Well _I_ won't let you!" Bookie spat out as she ran passed David as he entered through the door leading into the bunkroom. Race shrugged helplessly at Jack, and then turned to follow his girlfriend down the lodging house stairs. David stared at the backs of the two runners as they left, and then cautiously approached Jack, who was sitting on Snipes's bunk again, with his head in his hands.

After a few minutes Jack looked up at David just as he began to speak somewhat hesitantly. "Uh-- Jack? Are you almost ready to go?" Jack's only response was to quickly lower his head back into his hands and to shake it non-committed, side to side.


	6. Chapter 4

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Outside the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

"Bookie, wait up!", Race called after his speeding girlfriend.

She whipped around quickly and, with a smile so bright it could've lit up a room, she approached Race.

"Uh-oh. You know I don't like that look. That's the 'I-got-an-idea-and-I'm-gonna-need-your-help-Race' look."

"I got an idea and I'm gonna need your help, Race."

Race shrugged. "I knew it. What's your idea and what do I gotta go?"

"I'm gonna kill two birds with one stone. I'm gonna get even with Jack for turning scab and stop him from hurting Stress."

"And how do ya plan on doing that, my dear?" Race asked, not wanting to know the answer.

"Simple. I'm just gonna make sure that they don't never get together."

"But won't that hurt Stress as much as it hurts Jack? I mean, if she likes Jack as much as ya say she does, then it would hurt her as much to be with out Jack, dan to be with him after the entiah Sarah incident, right?"

"Not if we get her another guy," Bookie grinned triumphantly.

"If she likes Jack so much then she ain't gonna want another guy."

"Listen, I've known Stress for four years now, and I must say I know her pretty well. Since Jack went out and got himself a girl, then the only way that Stress can get back and forget her own hurt is to get herself a guy. Deep down they seem to know that they are made for each other. If Jack gets himself a girl, then Stress'll get herself a guy. Trust me."

Race's head was spinning at Bookie's attempts at logic. "If they are meant for each other, why are we're gonna keep them apart?".

"Look-- ," exploded Bookie, and Race could see the fire in her hazel eyes, "Are you with me or not?'.

"I'm with ya Bookie," whispered Race, before adding to himself, "the things I do for love."

"Good. Now I'm sure that we'll have Mushie's help cause she agrees with me. Now Martini and Stripes have this huge plot to break Sarah and Jack up so that'll wise up and get with Stress, but that ain't never gonna work. And the 'Singles' never really care about matters of the heart. That's why they are the 'Singles' after all. Now what we have to do is ..." and Bookie and Race continued down the street to the Bottle Alley Lodging House where they were going to go get Mushie and Mush -- Bookie talking animatedly with Race only half listening, thinking about how one plan could have so many things that could go wrong.

**On their way to Tibby's**

"So, Jack, I guess I'll finally get to meet this fine friend of yours -- Stress, right?" questioned David, trying to keep the conversation between him and Jack upbeat and happy. He knew how much Jack liked to talk about his other best friend, Stress. In fact, for the first part of the month that he had known Jack, she was all he had ever talked about. He had only stopped recently. "Ever since he had started dating Sarah, actually," David thought to himself, sneaking a glance at Jack's forlorn face.

"Yeah, she'll probably be at Tibby's when we're get there," Jack answered quietly. If David thought that seeing Stress would cheer him up, he was sadly mistaken. It was Stress that was bothering him. For the first time in four years he was forced to face his feelings for her. He had put it off for as long as he had known her, but he didn't think he'd be able to any longer. He was scared he would lose his best friend if he didn't.

"Ain't it a shame that Sarah cancelled lunch with you to go shopping with Satine?" David continued. "I'm sure that she would want to meet your best friend, too."

"Yeah, I guess so," mumbled Jack. He then added under his breath, "if she knew about her." Sarah Jacobs, David's sister. The last two weeks with her had almost made Jack forget Stress was gone. She was there to support him during the strike and her family was wonderful to him. She was the first girlfriend that he had had that lasted longer than a weekend. She would be the first girlfriend that he would introduce to Stress and he was sure as hell avoiding that. And he had to ask himself why he had never mentioned to Sarah that his best friend was a girl, a girl who he was in love with. At least, he thought he was in love with her. At this rate, who knew?

David noticed the serious look on Jack's face and said nothing. They walked the rest of the way to Tibby's in silence.

**At the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

There were only two girls still lounging around in the Bottle Alley Lodging House, Stripes and Martini. The two girls had waited until all of the other girls went out to enjoy one of the last days of summer before they sat down to set up their master plan.

"O.K., step one of the master plan. What we have to do is get Jack to realize that he don't really want Sarah," said Martini, writing it down.

"Right. Step two. Then we have to get him to see that the only one that he needs is Stress," added Stripes.

"And step three. We need to get Stress to say she actually has feelings for Jack. Can ya believe that she's never told no one? And I'm supposed to be her other best friend. She's lucky that we know what she's thinking half the time," pouted Martini as she finished making note of what their plan was.

"I can't believe that she can home so early. I thought that we had another two weeks at least before we had to put 'Operation Happily-Ever-After' into effect."

"I know. At least we're already talked to the guys. Spot said that he was coming down from Brooklyn tonight to spend the weekend with you, right Stripes?"

"Yeah. He's gonna be surprised that we gotta start so early, but he'll help. What about Blink?"

"No problem. My Blinky-poo does anything I ask him to do. He's such a cutie-pie," sighed Martini as she sat on her bunk, picturing Blink's face.

"Earth to Martini. Are you in there?" Stripes asked as she rapped her knuckles on Martini's forehead.

"Sorry. I kinda lose track of what's happening around me when I think of Blink," she said as she grinned sheepishly.

"Ya know, I just can't wait for Spot to get here tonight. I need some sane company," giggled Stripes as she dodged the pillow Martini threw at her. "C'mon, let's put our plan into action." And with that, the two girls left the Bottle Alley Lodging House, heading in the direction of Newsies Square to meet up with the guys, all the while immersed in conspiratorial whispers.


	7. Chapter 5

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**At Tibby's**

Stress and Grace were sitting in a corner booth at Tibby's , finishing up their lunch. Stress was nervously drumming her fingernails against the table while Grace sat across from her, sipping her second glass of sarsaparilla and giving her advice.

"Now, just be calm. All ya gotta do is be yourself. Then, when ya get an opening, just say 'Jack, we gotta talk.' Then give me a signal and I'll leave. Simple as that." Grace accented her statement by draining the rest of her glass.

"But what if he's got someone with him? I'd rather jump off the Brooklyn Bridge then let anyone here me get rejected by a guy, especially Jack."

"Dont' worry. I'll take care of anyone he's got with him. And you are not gonna be --" Grace let her sentence end there when something caught her eye. "What did you say Jack looked like again?"

"Well, he's about four inches taller than me, brown hair, brown eyes. He's always wearing the same red bandana and the same cowboy hat. Why?" Stress asked, puzzled. But that puzzlement lasted only seconds as she realized what Grace was asking.

"Cause he's coming in the door right now. Quick, act natural!" Grace whispered.

"How the hell do ya expect me to act natural when I feel like I've got twenty snakes in me belly?" Stress whispered back and quickly stopped when she noticed that Jack and his companion, a tall boy with curly brown hair and blue eyes, had spotted them and were coming to sit with them at their booth.

Jack slid into the booth first, choosing the seat next to Stress while his companion sat next to Grace. After giving Stress a big hug that lasted only a second, the two of them looking equally uncomfortable, Jack introduced his new friend. "Stress, this guy here is David Jacobs, but we call him Dave or Dave, unless he's acting like his usual self. That's when we use the nickname that Spot gave him -- The 'Walking Mouth'. And Dave, this is one of me best buddies, Stress," Jack said as he introduced his two best friends.

David blushed slightly and looked up shyly at Stress. "Hello."

"Hiya. I got a question for ya then. Why do they call you the 'Walking Mouth'?" Stress asked, her green eyes alit with interest. She had never heard a nickname like that before and she figured that if she focused on David, then she might not get the chance to talk to Jack.

"Oh, no particular reason," he replied, quickly shutting up.

"O.K., well, now that I've met the infamous brains behind the big strike," she said as David blushed crimson," I'd like to introduce you two to me pal Grace, from Queens. She's gonna stay here awhile with me in the Bottle Alley Lodging House. Grace, this lug right here, with his favorite cowboy hat on, is the one and only Jack Kelly." Stress turned to look at Grace expecting to see her smile a knowing smile. Instead she was surprised to see Grace looking up demurely at the two boys at the table. "Oh, great. Now she decides to shut her trap," Stress thought to herself.

It was quite a picture-- all four of them afraid to talk to one another, instead just stealing glances at each other. When they thought that no one was looking, Jack would look over at Stress, Stress would look over at Jack, David would look up at Stress and Grace would look over at David. Then Jack would look up at David for help and Stress would look up at Grace. And still no one said a word.

After about ten minutes of silence Stress decided she might as well take the plunge. "Jack--", she stopped when she noticed that he was looking at something over his shoulder that has caused the color to drain from his face.

Stress was too afraid to turn around and see what had spooked Jack so bad, so she kept her back to the restaurant door. "What I can't see can't hurt me," she thought to herself. She was wrong.

**Central Park**

"Thank you very much for deciding to help us with the plan you two. Now, our goal is to keep Jack and Stress apart, no matter what. Got it?" Bookie asked the couple right in front of her.

"Sure, Bookie. But explain to me why we're gotta do this again," said Mush, looking a bit confused as he scratched his head of dark, curly hair.

Mushie could see that Bookie was about to blow, so she quickly said, "Mush, there, don't worry about that right now. I'll explain it all to ya later. Just pay attention to what Bookie's telling ya to do and we'll be fine."

"Sure," he said contentedly, his eyes following the path of a nearby buzzing bumblebee.

Bookie sighed, but continued speaking as Race laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "O.K. guys, this is the thing. No good can come from Stress and Jack getting together. It'll only cause heartache for me pal now that Jack's got a girl, and it ain't her. What we've gotta do, right now, is wait for the perfect opportunity to strike."

"Strike? I thought the strike ended two weeks ago. Jack told me that we won. Didn't we win, Race? Mushie?" questioned Mush, now extremely confused.

"Yea, Mush. We won," answered Race, giving Bookie a look that said "Drop it and continue with your plan."

Again, Bookie sighed. "Now, what I need you guys to do is for you to go down to Tibby's and make sure that nobody tells Stress about Sarah yet. We need all the time we can get to concoct our scheme. Me and Mushie are gonna go back to the lodging house to work on the plan some more. In case you guys are too late and Jack has already told Stress about Sarah, then we're gonna need to be there to comfort Stress. But I don't think that'll be a problem. We all know how honest Jack Kelly is. Or should I say Frances Sullivan, remember?" added Bookie, unable to resist throwing in one last jab about Jack's dishonesty during the strike. "He's gonna pay," she vowed to herself, smiling.

**On their way to Tibby's**

It was a beautiful summer day outside-- not too hot, but warm with a pleasant breeze. Sarah Jacobs smiled to herself as she finished tying some of her long dark hair into a neater bun. She and her friend, a pale-skinned girl with green eyes, long, dark, curly hair with half of it that was clipped back and wearing a small oval silver locket around her neck, had just finished shopping.

"Hey Satine, since we finished shopping so early today, how about we go meet Jack for lunch after all?" asked Sarah.

"Sure, why not? I think I can handle sitting next to the lovebirds for one meal. As long as ya promise me that there will be no goo-goo eyes. I hate goo-goo eyes when I'm trying to eat."

Sarah giggled. "I can't make no promises, but I'll try. C'mon let's go. I can't wait to surprise him. David said he would be so disappointed that I couldn't make lunch this afternoon."

"Yeah, well your brother's a dork, Sarah."

"I know, but he sure does have some cute friends, don't he?"

Both girls began to laugh as they left the marketplace that was three blocks from Tibby's. The laughter continued until Sarah and Satine reached the door of the restaurant.

Satine spotted Jack and David first. She stopped laughing at once and quickly motioned for Sarah to as well, as she pointed out to Sarah what had made her stop laughing. When Sarah saw what Satine was pointing at she stopped in the middle of a "ha".

Inside of Tibby's was Jack and David sitting at a booth with a tall, pouting brunette with flashing green eyes and a cute blonde with bright blue eyes. Sarah quickly stifled a giggle; the whole scene just looked so comical once she got over the initial shock of seeing her boyfriend with two girls that she didn't know.

Jack was sitting next to the girl with long, curly, brown hair with his head staring down at his empty plate while her brother was practically drooling over her. The brunette kept her aloof gaze straight in front of her but, Sarah noticed after watching the girl for a minute or two, every now and then she would shoot glances at the girl across the table. But that did no good because the blonde kept her eyes on David.

"Ain't Jack lucky that he's not mesmerized by that girl like your dumb brother is," snickered Satine.

"Ya know Satine, I wouldn't say that," Sarah said sweetly as she opened the door to the restaurant and walked in.

"Oh boy, this should be good," Satine said as she waited at the door. Ever since Sarah had started to date Jack, her confidence had soared. Gone were the days she called people "stupid ape". She pitied the poor girl that was sitting with Sarah's boyfriend.

Satine watched as Sarah casually strolled up to Jack; she was pleased to see that all the color from his face drained out upon seeing his girlfriend approach him. "I guess he knows that he's caught," she said gleefully. She thought that this might be interesting.

Whether Sarah saw him pale or not, maybe she didn't care, she just continued walking until she reached the booth where Jack was sitting. She walked right up to him, and without a word, she leaned over and kissed Jack right on the lips.

Satine laughed triumphantly for her friend when she saw the brunette's face fall. "Chalk one point up for the girlfriends," she said as she followed Sarah into the restaurant. She couldn't wait to hear Jack's excuse.


	8. Chapter 6

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**At the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

Back at the boys' lodging house, all the girls and guys who weren't involved in any conspiracies, plots or operations, were enjoying a quick poker game, which was much more fun without their resident gambler around.

Sitting around the table playing cards were: Reeny, holding a pair of jacks; Midnight, with a pair of threes; Boots, with a full house; Gip, king high card; Holiday, holding three queens; Crutchy, three high card; and Bittah, with an astonishing hand of five aces.

Wish and Skittery were there in the lodging house but they were ... um... indisposed at the moment. Slash was out with Dutchy trying to find guys to call queer without getting soaked, while Blaze was out with Bumlets. He was teaching her how to run faster after stealing a hat by chasing after her and poking her gently in the side as she giggled playfully.

Nobody had noticed yet that it had been an awful long time since any of them had seen or heard from Stress, Jack, David, Grace, Race, Bookie, Mush, Mushie, Martini, Blink and Stripes. They were all wrapped up in their own doings to pay attention to anything else.

"O.K., what do you guys got?" asked Boots, confident that his full house would win the fourteen cents in the pot.

"Bittah! You're cheating again!" they all cried when they saw her hand.

In order to cover her tracks, Bittah quickly changed the subject. "Say guys, have any of you seen Stress or Jack or any one else since this morning?"

"Ya know, now that ya mention it, naw, not at all," answered Midnight, throwing down her hand of cards.

"Well, if Jack's told Stress about Sarah then I wouldn't doubt it if she threw him over the Brooklyn Bridge or jumped over herself," commented Holiday.

"Did I here someone mention Brooklyn? You better be saying nice things about me territory," drawled Spot as he sauntered into the bunkroom.

"Of course, Irish. Who'd be dumb enough to say something bad about Brooklyn to your face?" asked Gip, trying to sound innocent.

"Hiya Gypsy, girls, fellas. Has any of you seen Stripes? I was supposed to meet her here so we could spend the weekend together," asked Spot.

"Yeah. Stripes said this morning that if we're see you, we were to tell you to meet her in Newsies Square, by the Horace Greeley statue. She said it was important for you to get there as quickly as ya can," answered Reeny as she dealt out a new hand of cards.

"O.K., then I guess I'll be seeing you guys later."

"Bye Spot," they all said (except Wish and Skittery because they were still ... umm... busy.) And with that they returned to their poker game, forgetting everything they were talking about before Spot came in (to the immense relief of Bittah).

**At Tibby's**

Stress quickly stifled a gasp of shock when she saw a medium sized girl, with long dark hair, wearing a lacey dress, approach their booth and kiss Jack. She knew that at that moment her emotions were out there for everyone to see so she quickly changed her hurt expression to one of polite puzzlement. "So, Cowboy, ya wanna introduce me to your friend here?"

Jack gulped; he knew he was in trouble. Stress only called him Cowboy when she wanted to ignore the close friendship between them. She had only called him Cowboy about three or four times in the four years he had known her and each time it had been because they were in a fight over some petty little argument. This time it pained his heart because he knew this wasn't some petty little detail that was upsetting Stress. "Sure. Stress, this is me girlfriend, Sarah and her friend, Satine. Girls, this is me best friend, Stress. I've known her for about four years now."

"That's funny, Jack. You say you've known her for four years and yet this is the first time you mentioned her at all," purred Sarah.

Jack quickly glanced over at Stress. He knew her so well. He was prepared for her to jump out of her seat and slug him right in his face. Probably Sarah too, just for the snotty attitude she had. But what Stress did instead showed him only how wrong he was.

Stress quickly slid under the table, off the seat she was sharing with Jack. When she got up, she shook Sarah's hand (sans spit) and said, "Well, it's nice to meet the girl that finally captured old Cowboy's heart. Now, if you excuse me, I've gotta be going. Grace, are ya ready?"

Grace quickly nodded. Stress then turned to face David, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "Hey mister 'Walking Mouth'. Ya wanna come with me? I'd liked to get to know ya better. After all, you're one of Cowboy's friends so ya can't be all that bad," she added, not bothering to hide the flirtatiousness in her voice.

David jumped to his feet, surprised to be invited to go with her. "Sure, I love ya -- I mean, I'd love to," he said, stumbling all over himself, turning beet red with embarrassment.

Stress giggled coyly and reached out to touch a lock of his hair. "I just love curly hair. People with straight hair are just so boring." With a quick flicker of her eyes she let every one know that she was addressing Jack with that last comment. She waited a moment to see if Jack would make any response to her statement. When he said nothing Stress, after grabbing David's hand, marched out of Tibby's, with Grace following the two like a little lost puppy dog. They continued to march right past Race and Mush who had just arrived in time to see the exchange between Stress and Jack when he introduced Sarah.

Jack remained at the booth, paralyzed, with his mouth wide open, oblivious to Sarah's attempts to cuddle up next to him. His best friend had just ditched him for his other best friend. "I thought she liked me-- I mean that is what they all keep telling me," he thought, beginning to feel sorry for himself.

Just then a little voice in the back of his head spoke up. "What do ya expect? You know how much you like the girl. Imagine if you returned from a trip where the people ya grew up with just died and when ya got back here, ya found out that she went out and got herself a boyfriend. How would ya feel then?".

Jack answered the little voice out loud. "Exactly like I feel right now."

Sarah stopped fawning all over Jack for a second as she asked, "What did you say Jack?".

"Nothing," he said as he watched the backs of his two best friends as they walked down the street.

Satine just rolled her eyes as she sat down opposite the couple. "I thought I said no goo-goo eyes," she muttered.


	9. Chapter 7

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**In ****Newsies Square**

As Spot strolled up to where his girlfriend was, he could see her making annoyed faces at Martini and Blink, who were laughing and talking quietly to one another.

"Spot! Ya made it!" Stripes cried as she jumped on top of him. "Finally, I got someone sane to talk to."

"I wish that I could say the same. I'm just kidding Stripes," he added quickly as he noticed her rolling up her sleeves. She was the only girl that he was afraid of and she knew it. Trying to diffuse her temper he grabbed her close and gave her a hot, passionate kiss. When they finally broke apart she stammered, "What was that for?"

"Well, I only gets to see ya every other weekend. I gotta make sure that you don't forget me and fall for one of these Manhattan lugs."

Stripes giggled and snuggled closer to Spot. "Don't you worry about me, Conlon. Ya know that I'm a Brooklyn girl at heart."

Martini, finally remembering why they were all gathered around the Horace Greeley statue, spoke up, interrupting Spot and Stripe's cozy moment. "Ya see, Spot, that's kinda why we're here. One of our girls did fall for one of those lugs and we aim to get them together."

"Let me guess. Would this be the never-ending saga of mistress Stress and her lonesome, but not no longer, Cowb-- oof." He stopped in the middle of his sarcastic remark when Stripes elbowed him in the stomach.

"Cheese it, Conlon. Ya promised that you was gonna help me and Martini with Operation 'Happily-Ever-After'. Now, do I hafta remind you why ya said you'd help us?" she asked coyly and laughed when he nodded. She grabbed his tiny waist and dipped him back as she planted a big old kiss on his lips.

"O.K., O.K., I'll help. What do ya need me to do?"

"That's me boy. Now, me and Martini already have the beginning of the plan all worked out. You two gotta go talk to Jack about Stress and Sarah. We gotta find out which one he really prefers. Then if it's Stress, like it should be, we're gonna continue with the plan. And if it's Sarah, then we're gonna continue with the plan, anyways. We know who he's gonna be better with!"

"Yeah, our friend," added Martini.

Spot and Blink looked at each other, then to their respective girlfriends, then to each other again and shrugged. "I never liked Sarah anyways," said Blink.

**Walking to the Jacobs's apartment**

"Oh, Dave. You're so witty," laughed Stress as she listened to David tell her the story of how he had stood up to Jack the first day that they had met. It was just the two of them now. After an hour of following the couple around, Grace couldn't handle it anymore and set off to explore Manhattan by herself.

David blushed for about the thirtieth time that afternoon. The sound of her laughter was music to his ears. He still couldn't believe that this beautiful girl had chosen to spend the day with him over Jack. And Jack was supposed to be her best friend. Hardly daring to believe his luck so far, David decided to bite the bullet and invite her over for supper.

"Ya know Stress, if ya wanna, I mean ya don't hafta, but if ya like, ya can come over to me house for supper tonight."

"I'd love to," she said smiling graciously, as she slipped her hand into David's, all the while praying that Jack wouldn't be there with Sarah. No matter what she said or how she acted, she was crushed. Stress had never expected Jack to have a girlfriend when she came back from Queens. That thought had never crossed her mind once. Trying to push the depressing the thoughts out of her head, she turned her head a bit and looked sideways at David. He was here now and she knew that he honestly liked her; he wasn't playing any games with her, which was more than she could say at that moment. He was cute, sweet, a gentleman, and he paid attention to her, treating her like a queen. And the funny part is that she had only known him for one day. "Ya know what, this might just work. I could get used to someone actually liking me and not wanting anything back in return. I think I could learn to like David just fine." Looking at David again, she sighed.

David heard her sigh and gripped her hand tighter as they approached the Jacobs's apartment. "Well, here we are," David announced as he held the door open for Stress. As they entered, two people who could only be David's parents, looked up at David questioningly. He had never brought home a girl before.

David noticed the awkward silence and quickly began to make introductions. "Mama, Papa this is me new friend, Stress. She's gonna stay with us for supper, O.K.?"

"Sure David. Your sister has already invited Jack over to stay, so what's one more? Esther, why don't you add a little more water to the soup?" the older man, with his arm in a sling, said to his wife as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Mayer! Didn't we discuss this last time. The kids don't want you embarrassing them in front of their boyfriends and girlfriends," David's mother admonished as she walked into the kitchen with his father.

David began to blush when he heard his mother call Stress his girlfriend. He turned to see what her expression was. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was smiling at him instead of being appalled at the very idea.

Stress may have been smiling on the outside but on the inside she was groaning. She didn't mind being called David's girlfriend because that's just who she intended to be. No, it was what David's father had said. _Your sister has already invited Jack to stay…_So Jack was there with Sarah. Great, just great. Instead of getting all worked up over his presence she decided just to ignore him and focus on her new boyfriend instead. With a firm resolve she followed David to the kitchen table and sat in the seat right next him, pointedly avoiding Jack's gaze.

Since Esther and Mayer were still preparing dinner it was just the four of them at the table: Jack, Sarah, Stress and David. David realized that after spending the entire day with Stress he barely knew anything about her. She had let him talk about himself all day. He grimaced as he thought -- "She must think that I'm stuck on myself." Since nobody else was talking at the table anyway, David decided to start asking Stress some basic questions about her.

"So, Stress, how long have ya known Jack?" he asked lightly. Upon hearing his name Jack looked up to see what her response would be. He was betting it would probably not be too good.

Stress tensed as her green eyes suddenly flashed yellow. "Long enough" was her curt response. Jack quickly looked away.

David knew that that was the wrong subject to bring up though he didn't know why. Stunned by her reaction, he tried a different approach. "Umm... okay, did you have fun in Queens?"

Again he had said precisely the wrong thing. "Well, if ya call burying the two people that raised ya for seven years fun, then, yeah I had tons of fun." Sarah tittered at Stress's answer to her brother's question. She stopped suddenly when she saw the serious expression on Jack's face.

David, on the other hand, was mortified. He couldn't believe that every time he tried to talk to Stress he put his foot right into his mouth.

Stress, noticing his embarrassment, left her seat at the table and cozied up right next to David. "Oh, Dave. I'm sorry. I just have had a bad couple of weeks. But I'm sure that someone will make me feel all better," she cooed, gently stroking his cheek. "It should've been Jack making me feel better," she thought to herself, not being able to control the thought, "instead of adding to all of me troubles." Pushing that thought out of her mind she leaned over the table and, to the amazement of both Jack and Sarah, gave David a kiss right smack on the lips. When they finally pulled apart from one another David was beet red and Stress had a triumphant gleam in her eye as she sat back down into her seat. She looked over at Jack who was gaping at her. "Pass me a napkin, please, Cowboy."

"Cowboy again," Jack said to himself as he sat stunned in his seat, all of his thoughts whirring around inside his brain. His girl had just kissed his best friend, right in front of him! "Ah, but she ain't your girl. Sarah is. There's no need for you to be jealous about her kissing Dave when you're kissing Sarah," the little voice inside his head said. "Shut up," Jack whispered to the little voice.

"Excuse me Cowboy. What did you just say?" asked Stress, daring him to repeat himself.

"I said 'here's your napkin'," he grumbled as he threw one in her general direction. "C'mon Sarah, let's go," he added, getting up from the table. Sarah shot Stress a smug look as she rose from the table and clutched Jack's arm.

Jack looked up as Sarah's parents entered the room with a pot of soup. "Thank you for offering me supper Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, but I just ain't hungry no more," he said as he shot David evil looks.

David saw the looks Jack kept giving him but didn't care. Not only had he gotten his first girlfriend, and a beauty at that, but he had also gotten his first real kiss -- all in the same day. He just couldn't help smiling.

The one thing that David didn't notice was the look that Stress was giving Sarah and Jack as they left the apartment. "Oh well. It's high time that I settled down anyways," she thought as she helped herself to some of the soup that Esther Jacobs offered her. She couldn't help feeling, though, that a little bit of her heart had just walked out the door with Sarah and Jack.


	10. Chapter 8

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Wandering by ****Newsies Square**

Grace was confused. In fact, she was so befuddled, she was surprised she was able to walk in a straight line. It had been over an hour since she had left Stress and David alone. "David...", she thought, smiling to herself, "…he was just perfect." She began to sigh but caught herself immediately. She shook her head gently as if to clear it of any distracting thoughts. She had to be realistic. She had known David for only two hours now and yet she felt that she was head over heels in love with the guy. It would've been perfect if it wasn't for one minor detail: In the two hours since they had met, David had seemed to completely and totally fallen in love with Stress, one of Grace's closest friends.

"Stress is _so_ pretty. Stress is _everyone's_ best friend. Stress is _so_ likable and _all_ the guys fall in love with her. Except she's such a bozo she only got eyes for the one guy she can't have," Grace thought bitterly. She then chided herself for thinking so negatively about her friend. Stress couldn't control the way she looked and she was everybody's friend because she always went out of her way to help them all, as long as they didn't mess with her trust. "Look what she did for me," she told herself. And it wasn't Stress' fault that David preferred her over Grace. "It's only her fault for acting on David's emotions." Grace was not blind-she knew that, no matter what Stress would say when anyone asked her about David, she would never be able to love David the way that Grace knew she loved Jack.

As Grace began to walk by the giant Horace Greeley statue in the middle of Newsies Square all of her thoughts stopped as she saw two girls that she recognized sitting around the pedestal of the statue talking to two boys she didn't know. Grace racked her memory until she came up with the names of the two girls-Martini and Stripes. Grace laughed to herself. She was surprised she remembered any names at all. The introductions made in the Bottle Alley Lodging House this morning seemed like years ago. "But it's only been a few hours," she reminded herself with a sad smile as she remembered what had happened since they had left the Lodging House.

Upon hearing someone laugh, Martini looked up. "Oh, hiya Grace. What's wrong?" she added, noting the expression on Grace's face.

Grace felt uncomfortable telling the girls about what had happened in front of the two boys. Stripes, noticing Grace's hesitation and the way her eyes looked up at the boys and then back at the ground, quickly introduced them. "Grace, this one right here is me guy, mister Spot Conlon", Stripes said pointing to the shorter boy with dark hair and gorgeous eyes who's right hand was clutching a cane, "and that one over there is Kid Blink, ya know, he goes with Martini," she added, now pointing to a blonde haired boy wearing a brown patch over one of his blue eyes. "Fellas, this is Stress' friend from Queens, Grace. She's gonna be living with us girls over at the Bottle Alley Lodging House."

The boys nodded their salutations as Grace squeaked "Hello".

"Now that we're made the introductions, ya wanna tell us what happened? You can trust us. We don't bite, promise," added Martini with a laugh.

Grace managed to chuckle weakly. "Ya know, I really do trust you guys. I just can't believe you guys can tell that something is wrong. Well, here goes. After me and Stress left the lodging house she took me to have some lunch at this restaurant -- Tibby's. Well there we were, eating our lunch, when all of a sudden Jack and ... umm... Dave came strolling in," she said, not being able to control her blush, "and sat down at our table. We'se were all sitting there for about ten minutes or so when this girl comes strutting in. She walked right up to the table we were sitting at."

All four of them drew in a collective breath. "Sarah," Blink said, the only one able to get it out.

"What did Stress do? Did she soak Sarah? Did she soak Jacky-Boy? Tell me that she soaked someone, anyone!" Spot said, looking hungrily at Grace, while he rubbed his hands together. He stopped once Stripes whacked him in the stomach again.

"Go on Grace, what happened?" said Stripes, prompting Grace to continue the story.

"Ya see, like Spot was saying, I was all expecting Stress to get up and slug someone. It was really weird though. Instead of taking out her hurt, cause I know she was hurt, she got up and shook Sarah's hand and said something like 'I'm glad to meet the girl that captured Cowboy's heart.' It was so unlike her."

"Wow. She called him Cowboy. She must be real mad," Martini said in awe.

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Grace.

"Oh yeah! She don't like the nickname Cowboy cause it reminds her that Jack's ultimate goal is to get enough money to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico and buy a ranch to live on there instead of here in New York . She only uses that nickname when's she's extremely upset at him. I've only heard her call him that about two or three times and I've known them for four years."

"Well, let me tell ya, that ain't the worst of it all. After she said hello to Sarah, she left and she took a love-struck David with her. They've spent the entire day together. I bet they are a happy little couple now," Grace finished, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice. Unlike Stress, she didn't care if her new friends knew that she liked someone.

As he listened to Grace, Blink rolled his good eye. "Well, that sure puts a kink in the operation."

Grace overheard his comment and asked, "What operation?"

Martini shot Blink a "good going hun" look as she sighed. "Let me ask ya a question first. Who would you rather see Stress with -- Jack or David?'.

"Oh, Jack, definitely. I think that they are made for each other," Grace said rapidly, "...and then that'll leave Dave all for me," she added to herself.

"Right answer. Ya see, we're got a plan going that we call Operation 'Happily-Ever-After'. We're gonna get Stress and Jack together, no matter what. That sound good to you?" Stripes asked her question, and then leaned against the base of the Horace Greeley, with her arms crossed over her chest, awaiting her response.

"That sounds good to me. Just tell me what to want me to do. I'm all ears."

"Right now, we're gonna have to rework out the plan. We never figured that Stress would go for Dave. First step, though, is to get those two apart. Stress can't get with Jack if she got a guy. I don't know how we're gonna break those two up yet, but I'll work on that tonight. Then we continue with breaking up Sarah and Jack," Martini said adamantly. Nothing and No one was going to screw with their plan, not even Stress and Jack, David and Sarah.

Grace smiled as everything that Stripes and Martini were saying began to sink in. "I might just get a chance to get Dave for meself after all."


	11. Chapter 9

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

All was still and quiet in the bunkroom of the Bottle Alley Lodging House as the room's only occupants, Bookie and Mushie, sat there, on the same bunk, whispering to each other.

All of a sudden they were interrupted when two boys came running up the stairs and came barging into the bunkroom. The shorter one caught his breath first and started talking at top speed. "Oh my God, Bookie, you're never gonna guess what just happened!"

Bookie stood up, wide-eyed and alert. "Race, what happened?"

"This is what happened. Me and Mush, we went down to Tibby's to see if Jack and Stress were there, just like ya told us to. We got there just in time to see Sarah walk right up the the booth that Jack, Stress, Dave and Stress' friend, what's her name, Grace, were sitting at. Then, right in front of everyone, Sarah plants one right on Jack." Race stopped to catch his breath again.

Bookie nodded slowly as she took in all the new information. "O.K., now Stress knows. What did she do?"

"That's the eerie part, Bookie. I swear, I woulda bet five-to-one that she was gonna punch Jack right in the face but instead she gets up all calm and shakes Sarah's hand. After that she gets up and tells Grace that she's leaving. Then she puts on her charm and gets Dave to go with them. That poor boy was under her spell instantly. Ya know what Stress is like when she puts on her charm."

"Yeah," responded Mush.

"What!" screeched Mushie, "I'm sorry _I don't know _what she's like when she puts on her charm."

"Oh, ya know. She starts smiling at ya real pretty-like and flipping her long curls. Ya just get lost in her eyes and ya wanna do anything to make her happy," Mush explained, oblivious to the look Mushie was giving him.

Bookie, sensing trouble amongst her co-conspirators, quickly intercepted. "I'm sure that Mush just heard about all that from one of the other fellas whose heart Stress has broken cause of her crush on Jack. Remember, he's your guy now, Mushie, not hers. Ain't that right Mush?"

"Yeah... sure." Mush answered, still lost in a dreamy gaze. That was enough for Mushie, though. She snuggled close to Mush and waited to hear what her friend had to say about their plan.

Aware that everyone's eyes were on her, Bookie addressed the group. "Well, first of all, I'd like to say I told ya so to Race. I told him that Stress would go out and get herself another guy. An' the fact that she chose Dave as the sap is even better. Now that both Jack and Stress have someone, a pair of brother and sister no less, they ain't never gonna get together now. The only thing left to do to insure that our plan is done is to let Jack and Stress know how happy they both are without the other. Race, you and Mush go talk to Jack, but make sure that no one else is around. Why don't you two take him to Tibby's tomorrow after ya finish selling your papes. Me and Mushie are gonna handle Stress when she comes back to the Lodging House." Bookie stopped speaking when she heard footsteps on the stairs. "O.K., guys. That's it for now. I'll see you guys later. Just make sure to talk to Jack tomorrow." She leaned over to give Race a quick kiss as Stress entered the door of the bunkroom. She smiled knowingly as Race had to drag Mush out of the bunkroom.

Bookie looked at Mushie over Stress's head and winked. It was time to put this part of the plan into action. "Hiya Stress. You're looking mighty happy over there. How was your first day back in Manhattan?"

"Oh, it was good. Great, actually," she responded casually.

"Really? What was so great about it?" asked Mushie, playing along.

"I know you two are gonna make a big deal outta it but I'm gonna tell you anyways. I got myself a guy today and he's a keeper."

"Really? That's great news! Who's the lucky fella that managed to win ya over? Do I know him?" Mushie continued with the questions, hiding a smile because she already knew the answers.

"Yeah, ya know him. It's David, David Jacobs. Jack's dating his sister," Stress said. It was extremely hard to get that last sentence out. It hurt to say it because if she said it out loud it forced her to face the fact that it was true. "You have David now. He's ten times better than Jack," she reminded herself for the tenth time since she left the Jacobs's.

Though Stress did a great job masking her emotions, Bookie knew her well enough to know that she still wanted to be with Jack more than anything and was only using David as a distraction. She felt a momentary pang of guilt but pushed it to the side. She was doing this for Stress. Jack -- the lowdown, dishonest jerk that he was -- did not deserve her at all. "So ya found out about Sarah, huh?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah. I'm surprised though. She ain't the type of girl I pictured Jack with at all, but hey, as long as he's happy," Stress said, not meeting anyone's gaze.

"Oh, and he's really happy with Sarah. They're in love ya know," Bookie added for good measure. Mushie shot her a look that told Bookie that she thought that she had gone too far.

Stress sat there for a moment, stunned. One of her friends had just confirmed her worst fear: Jack really had fallen in love with another girl. She quickly put her smile back into place. She didn't need Jack any more. She now had her own guy. "Now, if you two excuse me. I'm gonna go take a quick walk before all of the other girls come back here for the night."

As soon as Stress left the bunkroom, Mushie turned to face Bookie. "Bookie, I think that ya went too far with that last remark. Ya said that we're ain't supposed to be hurting Stress and that hurt her. I know that ya saw her expression when ya said that," she said, wagging her finger at Bookie.

"Don't worry Mushie", she said as she stretched out on her top bunk, "She'll thank us for saving her the heartbreak of dating Jack one of these days. Trust me. I know what I'm doing." She smiled as she looked up at the dirty ceiling. Her plan was coming along nicely now. "Yes, I think that things will work out just fine."


	12. Chapter 10

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

. August 4th 1899 .

**At the ****Distribution****Center**

Like every other normal day all the newsies lined up outside the distribution center to buy their papes. What made this day different from every other normal day were the groups that left the center to sell their papes together. Before Stress had gone to Queens, all the girls would set out with their respective boyfriends to sell, the "Singles" would split up amongst themselves and the single newsboys, and Stress and Jack would sell together. While Stress was in Queens the pairs were pretty much the same except Jack paired off with David. Now, though, the pairs were all screwy.

The "Singles" still split up amongst themselves -- Midnight, Holiday and Reeny went with Boots, Itey and Swifty to the harbor while Bittah and Gip headed to Bottle Alley with Crutchy, Pie-Eater and Snoddy. Blaze and Bumlets, Slash and Dutchy, and Wish and Skittery all split up and went their separate ways, like usual. Stripes and Martini grabbed Grace so they could work on their plan some more while selling. For the same reason Mushie and Bookie set off together. Stress and David headed off together, hand in hand, leaving Jack behind. Race and Mush tried to get to Jack first but Blink and Spot invited him to sell with them seconds before Race got over there. Upon a disappointed look from Bookie, Race quickly invited him to lunch at Tibby's after he had finished selling his papes. After Jack agreed, Race and Mush left together to discuss what they were going to tell Jack later that afternoon.

**Downtown ****Manhattan**

"So, Jacky-Boy, how ya been? I haven't seen ya in quite some time," asked Spot, starting up a conversation.

"I'm good Spot."

"How's Sarah? She treating ya good?" Blink added. "Might as well get straight to the point," he thought to himself.

"Sarah's good too, Blink."

It was going to be tougher than they thought to get Jack to talk to them about what he was feeling. He was being extremely tight-lipped.

Spot tried again. "So was that the 'Walking Mouth' I saw Stress leaving the distribution center with?"

This time Spot succeeded in touching a nerve. "Yeah, that lousy scabber just went up and stole me g-- me best friend. Can ya believe that?" announced Jack.

"Well Jack, ya see, those two are a couple now. Of course they're gonna wanna spend some time together," Bllink said as he tried to reason with him.

"But she's me best friend. She's been back for over a day now and I only got to talk to her once when we all was at that Jacobs's for supper yesterday," he said as he tried to explain his jealousy to his friends.

"Oh, really? How about when ya introduced her to your girlfriend?"

Jack blushed. "So, you two know about that, huh?"

"Yeah, we know. I'm surprised Stress didn't slug ya right there," stated Blink as he fixed his eye patch so that it was straight.

"Well, to be honest with you, me too. I've never seen Sarah act so superior to anyone before," Jack said, looking puzzled.

"Ain't it a shame that Stress had to find out that way? I'm sure ya didn't make her feel too good."

"Ya know, Spot, I think that Dave's gonna make her feel all better." Jack said bitterly as he recalled her words at supper the night before. _"Oh, Dave.__ I'm sorry. I just have had a bad couple of weeks. But I'm sure that someone will make me feel all better."_ He got all hot with anger, like he did last night, whenever he saw Stress fawning all over a guy, especially one of his friends. He wasn't able to handle it last night so he had left. In fact, he still couldn't handle it and it showed in his expression.

"Whatsamattah Jack? You'se don't look so good. Is there something that ya wanna tell us Jack? C'mon, we're your pals," Blink said, trying to wheedle the information they needed out of Jack.

"Yeah Jacky-Boy, you know that you can trust us."

Jack thought about it for a second. It might help him to sort out his feelings if he talked it over with someone. Since both of his best friends were not available to talk to at the moment, and most definitely would not be able to help him with this problem, then the next best thing would be to tell Spot and Blink.

Taking a deep breath, Jack began to talk, to the pleasure of the other two boys. "O.K. fellas, this is it. I've known Stress for over four years now. During that entire time I knew that I had something special but being the bozo that I am, I never said anything to her about me feelings. I had spent this past summer going back and forth with me heart and me brain. Me heart keeps saying go for it, but me brain keeps telling me to keep me trap shut unless I wanna be rejected and lose me best friend at the same time. I figured that having her as me best friend was better than not having her at all. Then, when she had to go away this past month, I was lost with out her. But then we had the big strike and I had something else to focus on. Then I met Dave, Les and, most importantly, Sarah. The Jacobs' were like the fam'ly I never had. An' Sarah, Sarah was not shy about telling me she liked me. An' I made the mistake of thinking that the feelings of friendship I had toward her were something more. There's only one girl that I love, at least I think I love, and it ain't Sarah. But what can I do now? I don't wanna hurt Sarah and besides, Stress has herself a guy, a good guy that she seems to have fallen in love with, so what good would anything do anyways?" Though Jack looked very lost and confused, he also was able to smile. It felt so good to get that off his chest.

Spot and Blink, on the other hand, were stunned. They did not expect Jack to come out and tell them everything that he was thinking.

Spot recovered first. "Wow, I had no idea. But let me ask ya a question. Do ya honestly think that Stress loves Dave the way that ya love her?"

"I don't know what to think anymore."

"Yeah, Jack. I can honestly tell ya that Stress loves you as much as you love her. This thing with Dave is just a fling, I tell ya. It's a way for her to hide the hurt that you caused by springing Sarah on her," Blink added.

Again, Jack blushed. He felt incredibly guilty about any unintentional hurt he may have caused Stress. "I never want to hurt Stress," he said shyly.

"Yeah, well at this rate you're gonna end up hurting Stress and Dave and Sarah," Spot pointed out.

"I know, I know." Jack was beginning to see what he was going to have to do. He shook his head from side to side in order to clear it. He would worry about that later. "C'mon fellas, we've got work to do."

He started to pick up his pace hawking his headline ("Cow saves man from burning barn in Jersey!") leaving Spot and Blink a few steps behind.

The two boys shared a conspiratorial wink. As they picked up their step to catch up with Jack, Blink smiled to himself. He and Spot had done good -- the girls were going to be very proud and happy at the information that the boys would give them later that evening. "For once, one of the girls' plans is gonna work," he said to himself before shouting to people to pay "A penny a pape."


	13. Chapter 11

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**In ****Newsies Square**

It was another gorgeous summer day in New York. Stress and David, who had just finished selling their papes for the day, were strolling around Newsies Square, hand in hand. Stress was content and happy for the first time since she had returned to Manhattan the day before. She looked over at David. He was staring straight in front of him with a goofy expression on his face. Stress laughed as she wondered what he could possibly be thinking of that would give him such a comical look on his face.

When her laughter didn't jar David out of his trance-like state, Stress began to sing a merry tune under her breath.

David, snapping out of his gaze, looked up at her in surprise. "I didn't know that you sang."

Now it was her turn to look up in surprise. She hadn't realized that he was still paying close attention to her though he looked like his mind was miles away. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that ya could hear me. I'll shut up now."

David stopped to face Stress. Still clasping her right hand in his left, he used his right hand to gently cup her face. "You don't hafta stop. In fact, I'd like it if you didn't. I would listen to you scream in my ear if it made you happy because you make me happy. I haven't been able to get you off my mind since I met you yesterday, Stress. I feel like I've known you all me life instead of only two days," he said seriously as he gazed straight into her green eyes.

Stress blushed as she broke the gaze by turning her head slightly so that it fell out of David's hand. "Ugh, what is happening here?" she thought to herself as feelings of immense guilt welled up inside of her. Stress has had plenty of guys say stuff like that to her before and she had never once let it affect her. Ever since she had been with Rip, all those years ago in Queens, Stress had developed a thick skin for sweet-talkers. But this was different. While all the other guys she had ever known just wanted a chance to get in her bunk, she knew that David was serious and meant everything that he said. She started to get angry at herself for getting into such a mess of a situation. When she was around Jack she always felt like herself -- strong and in control. Yet whenever she was with David, she felt weak.

If there was one thing that Stress hated more than anything else, it was weakness.

As she stood there silent for the few minutes it took her to collect her thoughts, she could still feel the pressure from his warm grip on her hand and the heat from the penetrating gaze he was giving her. He was obviously waiting for her to say something.

"David, I--" she hesitated. Though it was true that she did like him, and could even grow to love him, it was also true that the only one she loved at the moment, though it ached to admit it, was Jack.

Though it was only a few seconds that passed from when she started her sentence until she completed her thought, it was still enough time to take a toll on David's emotions. The heat from his gaze went cool as he averted his eyes. She no longer felt the gentle pressure of his hand as he let go of her's and stuck his own into his pocket.

Stress was horrified. He obviously thought that since she didn't answer his proclamation of love for her that she didn't care about him at all. She looked at him for a second, and then spoke his name. "Dave --"

When he looked up at her, Stress was surprised to see that there were tears in his eyes. She stopped for a second and then threw her arms around him as she gave him a long, hard, searching kiss.

They ended their kiss sweetly as they gently pulled their mouths apart. Still wrapped in each others arms, Stress reached up one of her hands and wiped his eyes. Then she slowly moved her mouth right next to his ear and whispered, "Don't ya worry about me, ya big lug. I'm very happy."

It may be true that she didn't have Jack to make her truly happy but David was doing a fine job on his own.


	14. Chapter 12

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**At Tibby's**

A few hours after he had left Blink and Spot to wallow in his own sorrows, Jack found himself sitting at a table in Tibby's, directly opposite of Mush and Race. For the second time that day Jack felt like he was being ambushed by two of his friends. And Race and Mush were doing an even better job than Spot and Blink at making Jack feel more miserable because, of course, the topic of the conversation was Stress.

"So, Jack, have ya seen Stress since yesterday at the Jacobs'?" Race asked as he gnawed on a chicken leg.

"Just this morning at the distribution center when we was buying our papes," he said in a flat voice, not wanting to remember the pangs of jealousy he had felt at seeing Stress and David walk off, hand in hand.

"An' didn't those two look like such a cute couple?" Race continued.

"Yeah, and she was all putting on her charm for him. You know what I mean," sighed Mush.

"Yeah, I kno-- I mean, no of course not, Mush. What are you talking about?" Jack asked, trying to cover himself. It wouldn't help him to get all lovey-dovey over someone he couldn't have. Besides, he had Sarah. "I've got Sarah, I've got Sarah, I've got Sarah..." he chanted to himself as he finished the rest of his drink, and grimaced at the thought.

Race, noticing that Mush was about to launch into the conversation they had had at the Bottle Alley Lodging House last night, quickly interrupted him. "Whatsamattah Jack? Your drink taste funny?"

"Naw, I'm good," he said, not looking the least bit good.

"Well, then, what were we're talking about? Oh yeah, I remember -- Stress and Dave. Let me just tell you guys," he started, trying to remember exactly what Bookie had told him that afternoon to say, "Bookie was there when Stress came back to the lodging house last night and she was practically floating on air, she was so happy. She kept saying that she was glad that she came back from Queens, that this time she found a keeper and," he gulped, praying Jack never found out that he was about to lie to him, "she kept saying how much in love with your pal she is."

Jack recoiled in his seat as he let the news sink in. Stress **never** used the word "love", not after all the times she had to say it to Rip -she thought if she told someone that she loved them, then it would make her weak, and she **hated** weakness. "There must be some mistake. Ya don't fall in love with someone in one day. It takes ya four years to realize that ya love someone." If Jack was thinking rationally at that moment he might have noticed that in his last sentence he had inadvertently admitted to Race and Mush that he loved Stress.

Jack may not have been thinking straight but Race was and he understood exactly what Jack meant. But he had made a promise to Bookie and he intended to stick to it. Besides, Jack had Sarah -- he didn't need two girls. "Yeah, well, when ya really love someone I guess ya don't need four years, eh Jack?"

Jack understood the reference to four years the second time around. Feeling equally embarrassed, hurt and angry at himself, Jack excused himself from the table. He needed to go to the secret spot that he shared with Stress to think about everything that was happening; it was in that secret spot that they had met four years ago and it was there that they always went together when they wanted to think and talk to one another. He figured that she would be to busy spending time with her "love" to be using their secret spot, so he went, for his first time ever, to use the secret spot alone.

While Mush playfully blew bubbles in his drink with his straw, Race watched Jack as he left. He couldn't help but wonder if it was all worth it.


	15. Chapter 13

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**In ****Newsies Square**

As Stress and David leaned in for a second kiss, she paused when she heard her name being called. Walking toward them from the opposite direction, Stress and David saw Martini, Stripes and Grace waving at them. She waved back, feeling incredibly guilty. Ever since she had returned from Queens she had barely seen any of her friends, instead spending all of her time with David.

Martini hustled up to them and gave Stress a big hug. "Hiya!"

Stripes duplicated the gesture. "Long time no see. Where have ya been the last two days?"

Grace stayed where she was, her eyes glued to the ground.

Stress turned to look at David. "Hey, Dave, would you mind terribly if I spend the rest of the day with me girls?" she said as she snuggled close to his chest.

David did mind; he wanted to spend every waking minute with Stress, getting to know everything about her. But David knew there was something about the way she had asked the question that made it a statement and not a request, so he nodded. Besides, the way she was snuggling so close to him made him forget everything else around him, so the only thing he could do was nod.

Stress gave him a quick kiss and whispered huskily, but not too quietly, to him. "I'll see ya tomorrow to sell our papes, but I'll see ya tonight in me dreams." She figured that she might as well show her friends that they were a happy, in-love couple even if it was a stretch.

Stripes and Martini just exchanged a look while Grace just wandered off. She couldn't bear watching her friend make David look like a pansy.

Stress waited for David to start walking away before turning to face her friends, who were both giving her questioning looks. Stress dismissed their looks and asked them, "Hey girls, what happened to Grace?"

Figuring that Stress didn't know about Grace's crush on her boyfriend, they kept that information to themselves. Things were already too complicated. "She left something at the lodging house. She said that she'd see you later," Martini told her.

"Oh, O.K.. So what brings you two here? Did you lose Spot and Blink? It ain't like ya, Stripes, to be with out Spot when he's here in Manhattan. And Martini, I thought that Blink and you were attached at the lip. Where are they?"

Stripes, looking quite serious, spoke first. "Stress, we're have to talk to you and we figured that it would be better if the guys weren't around."

"If this is about me and David--" Stress started to say but Martini cut her off.

"Actually Stress, it's about you and Jack. Look at me," she added when Stress quickly looked away, "I don't care what you say, you know that you still love him." It came out a little blunter than she intended it to be but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Stress scoffed in order to hide her surprise. "Me? Like Jack like that? Ya must be off your rocker," she said praying that Grace hadn't told Martini and Stripes about what she had said when she was in Queens.

"You may think that nobody knows ya but we do. It's been written all over your face for years now. What we wanna know is, if you like Jack so much, why are you fooling around with his best friend?" asked Stripes.

Stress turned beet red and started to mumble incoherently, though through her mumbles Martini and Stripes could distinctly hear the word "Sarah".

"Is that what this is all about? Sarah? Surely ya don't think that Jack likes Sarah like that?" Martini asked dubiously.

"What do you expect me to think? I came back from Queens and me world fell apart!" Stress exploded at the other two girls. It felt good admitting to her friends the disappointment and hurt she felt when she had returned only the day before.

Martini put her hand on Stress's in an attempt to calm her down as Stripes countered back "Jack's using Sarah the same way that you using Dave -- as a distraction!"

"I... I like Dave" Stress said indignantly as she shook her head royally.

"Yeah, but do you love him? I mean, like the way that you love Jack. Do the feelings even compare?"

Stress didn't need to respond; Stripes knew the answer from her silence.

"I need to go an think somewhere...anywhere..." Stress said as she turned in the opposite direction and ran. There was only one place to go when you need to think in New York-- the secret spot. She figured that Jack would be too busy with Sarah to use it. Besides they rarely went to the secret spot alone; Jack would never think of her going to use it by herself.

Martini and Stripes watched as Stress turned a corner, then looked at each other and nodded. Their plan might just work after all.


	16. Chapter 14

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**The Secret Spot**

"One more block and a turn down that alley and I'm there," Stress said, relieved that the back entrance to the secret spot was still open. She couldn't wait to sit and think about everything that was happening. According to Bookie and Mushie, Jack was in love with Sarah yet Martini and Stripes said that he was only using her as a distraction. And, as much as it pained her to admit it, she **was** just using David as a distraction to mask her feelings for Jack. Though she _did_ like David, she was fooling herself if she thought she would ever be able to love him as more than a friend. "Tis a shame too, he sure is a great kisser," she giggled to herself as she approached the secret spot.

"Who's there?" called a masculine voice.

Stress's stomach sank. There was someone in the secret spot. But the only person who knew about the secret spot, besides her, was--

"Oh, hullo Cowboy." she said as she slumped against the brick wall of the back alley. "Of all the luck. Of course the one person I don't wanna see is gonna be here," she thought to herself.

Jack, who had been doing some serious thinking in the secret spot himself, stood up and walked over to Stress. Without saying a word he sank down right next to her.

"So we're finally gonna get a chance to talk, eh Stressie?" he said using his childhood pet name for her.

In spite of herself, Stress smiled. "Ya haven't called me that in two years, ever since ya decided ya were too grown up."

"I was just a kid then. Heck, I'm still just a kid..." he said, his voice trailing off. He was only seventeen yet at that moment he felt like he was seventy.

They sat there in silence, not sure what to say. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement not to mention neither David nor Sarah. After hearing their friends give conflicting stories about their relationships, neither one was sure what to think. Of course they weren't smart enough to actually talk to each other about their feelings.

The two of them were sitting so close to one another that they could feel the sparks flying between them. Stress wanted more than anything to reach out and just touch him and assure him that everything was going to be okay. She looked at him and sighed. He looked just as confused as she felt. When did their friendship turn into this?

Jack sat there, next to Stress, and tried to get his thoughts into order. "I should just tell her how I feel and if she wants Dave she can have him." He looked at her beautiful face with her lovely green eyes and full, pouting lips framed by a mass of curls. He knew he never would be able to tell her how he felt if there was any chance of rejection; he wouldn't be able to handle it. He thought again of her full, pouting lips and smiled. He would let his actions speak for him.

Turning quickly so to catch her off guard, Jack cupped her face into his hands and began to kiss her, gently at first but then more hungrily.

Stress struggled at first, mainly because of her surprise at Jack's sudden move. After a few seconds she gave in and melted into his arms, giving herself to him.

Once Stress relaxed and began to kiss him back, Jack moved his hands off her face, instead wrapping his arms around her torso, pulling her close to him.

The kiss seemed to last an eternity for both of it's occupants. When it ended, Stress fell against Jack and leaned her head against his chest, savoring the moment of their first kiss. "Oh, Jack..." she murmured.

As he felt the weight of her head nuzzling up against his chest, Jack smiled for the first time since Bookie had told him that Stress was back in town. "No more Cowboy!" he thought as happiness swelled up inside him. There was no way to fake the kind of emotion that was behind their kiss. Jack sat there, stroking her hair and relishing the moment. Not stopping to think about what he was going to say, he whispered his only thought into her ear: "Does Dave kiss ya like that?"

Jack knew he had said the wrong thing at once. He felt Stress's body tighten up and, as she realized what exactly had just happened, she leapt up and tore out of the alley, leaving Jack alone. He started to get up to chase after her, but after three steps he thought better of it and sat right back down. He had just had the perfect opportunity to tell her exactly how he felt and he had blown it. Yet he knew now that what Spot and Blink and all the others had told him was true-- she did feel the same way about him that he felt about her. The way she kissed him had told him that. As he smacked himself on the forehead for the stupid question he had asked he could only hope that he hadn't lost her forever.

**Running to the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Run. The only thought that was in Stress's mind was to run. She had to get out of Jack's arms, out of that alley, out of Manhattan. She didn't know where to go; with the O'Connor's dead and Grace here in Manhattan, she had nowhere else to go but back to the Bottle Alley Lodging House. So that's where she went.

She stopped outside of the entrance to the lodging house to catch her breath and gather her thoughts. "O.K., what just happened? One second I was just sitting there talking to Jack and the next second I'm kissing him." She had to work hard to suppress the small bubble of joy that rose up inside her. Jack kissed her. Not just a baby-kiss-on-the-cheek but a real kiss. She flushed at the memory. His warm mouth on hers, their bodies pressed together, his hands gently cupping her face. His hands gently cupping her face in an exact imitation of David's gesture from only hours before. David. He could never find out what had happened between Stress and Jack. She would make sure of that.

Once she was sure that she was calm enough to go in, she entered the door and saw Mrs. Cook, the owner of the lodging house, sitting at her desk. After tossing her a nickel for the night's lodging fee she turned to Mrs. Cook and asked "Has any of the other girls checked in for the night?" crossing her fingers that she would at least have some alone time now that she wouldn't be able to use her secret spot.

"Yeah, there. Your friend, Grace, already paid her night's stay." Mrs. Cook answered in her thick Polish accent.

Stress slumped her shoulders as she remembered something that her father had told her right after her mother had died and they knew they were going to have to leave Ireland. "Remember this piece of advice, me wee child. Whatever can go wrong will. Tis Murphy's Law and it always works!" Stress had always laughed when her father complained about Ol' Man Murphy bringing him all this bad luck, but she also remembered it. "One more for good old Mister Murphy to claim." Of course Grace would be the only one there.

Knowing that it would just be infinitely worse to leave the lodging house, Stress proceeded to go up the stairs and enter the bunkroom. As she walked through the door she saw Grace sprawled out on a lower bunk, sobbing. When she heard someone entering the bunkroom, Grace looked up. Once she realized that it was Stress, she continued to sob even harder.

"Grace, what's the matter?" Stress asked as she hesitantly approached Grace's bunk.

Grace took a few deep breaths to compose herself. When she was able to speak, she turned to look at Stress. "Why?"

"Uh- why what?" Stress replied, puzzled.

"Why did you have to go and pick Dave?"

"Grace, what are you talking about? I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I got eyes ya know. I see the way that he looks at you but I also see the way that you look at him. You don't look at him the same way and ya know it!" Grace shouted, looking relieved to finally be getting it all off her chest.

"Grace, wait--" Stress started to respond.

"No, I ain't finished yet. You told me exactly how you felt about Jack when you was in Queens. I know that you didn't forget about him overnight."

Stress flinched at the mention of Jack's name. The memory of his kiss was as strong as ever. Trying to think of anything but Jack, she realized something that she was blind to before. "Ya like him, don't ya Grace? Ya like David and that's why you're so upset that I'm dating him." As soon as the words left her mouth, Stress knew that she was right. She wondered how she could have missed that.

Grace looked up at Stress, red staining her cheeks. "And what if I do?"

Murphy's Law strikes again. Of course Grace would develop a crush on David. "I'm sorry Grace, but I can't control the way that he feels."

"Yeah, but what about you?" Grace challenged.

"Ya know what, I think that I'm gonna turn in a little early tonight. See ya tomorrow at the distribution center," Stress didn't even wait for a response from Grace, instead choosing to climb into her bunk and hiding under her blanket to think.

"Damn ya Mister Murphy! An' Jack, damn Jack too!" she said to herself. This was all Jack's fault. He was making her weak now, playing with her heart and her mind. She had to forget about him. If she opened her heart all the way to him he would only break it. "Remember, no matter what happened today, he's still with Sarah," she thought, trying to make her decision easier to make. Even though she would end up hurting Jack, Grace and herself, she had to stay with David. It was the safe choice to make. "I'm sorry Jack. I'm sorry Grace," she whispered to her blanket as she lay in her bunk, preparing herself for a sleepless night.


	17. Chapter 15

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

. August 5th 1899 .

**Walking to the Jacobs's Apartment**

After buying his papers Jack headed off to see Sarah. He had harbored a small hope that, after what had happened between them the night before, Stress might ditch David to sell with him. He wasn't surprised, only disappointed, when everyone split up to sell exactly like they had the day before. The only difference was, after seeing David and Stress walk off again, hand in hand, Jack had taken off by himself so that he wouldn't have to deal with either Blink and Spot or Mush and Race all telling him conflicting stories about Stress and David's relationship. He didn't want to know anything else anymore. He had learned everything he had wanted to know in the back alley last night.

He sighed. The kiss that he and Stress had shared still lingered within him. He still couldn't believe that he had let his jealousy get in the way and had asked her about David. "Of course I had to go and mention her boyfriend when she was kissing me. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he exclaimed as he berated himself. It was such a beautiful moment and he had ruined it.

The only good thing that had came out of what had happened was that Jack finally realized and was ready to admit that he was in love with Stress. Unfortunately there was three obstacles for him to overcome before he would actually be able to confess his love for his best friend: Sarah, David and Stress herself. All he had to do was get Stress to admit to herself how she felt. "The feelings are there. I know dey are!" he cried as he banged his fists on the brick wall of the Jacobs's apartment building. Once Stress stopped denying how she felt then she could end things with David and date Jack instead. "Makes sense to me," he thought.

That left Sarah as the only obstacle, an obstacle that, as much as it pained him to do it, he was going to clear that morning.

Jack took a deep breath before entering the tenement and climbing the three flights of stairs to the Jacobs's apartment. When he reached the door he placed his new imitation cowboy hat on top of his head before knocking. Whenever Jack was nervous he used his cowboy hat as a shield, protecting him; at that moment he was more nervous than when he had to ask Spot for Brooklyn's help in the strike! He gulped when he heard someone in the apartment walking to answer the door.

"Maybe she'll be out shopping with Satine again or-- Hiya Sarah." he said quite loudly when he saw her open the door.

"Jack!" she squealed as she threw her arms around his neck. "What are you doing here? Did you finish selling your papes already?"

As he followed Sarah into the kitchen, he indicated to the large stack of papers in his hands. "Naw, actually, I didn't even start yet. I came here first because I needed to talk to you - alone," he added upon coming face to face with Satine at the kitchen table.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone then," Satine said with an over exaggerated wink. "I'll see ya later Sarah. Good luck!"

Sarah giggled nervously as she waved good-bye to Satine while Jack stood there with no expression on his face. When he saw that Satine had shut the door behind her, he turned to face Sarah. "Sarah, we need to talk."

"Jack, before you say anything, there's something I wanna tell you. These last two weeks have been great."

"Yeah, well that's kinda what I wanna talk to ya about," Jack said, interrupting Sarah.

"Jack, just wait a second. Let me finish first. Like I was saying, these last two weeks have been great, but..." she couldn't find the words to say what she wanted to tell him. "Good luck, Satine tells me. Ha!"

"But..." Jack prompted her, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Maybe he won't have to be the one to do the dirty work after all.

"But... but I really think that we'd be better off as friends, instead of a couple," Sarah blurted out.

He couldn't control himself. "Woo hoo!"

Sarah pouted as she looked at him. She was obviously hurt. "That ain't the reaction I was expecting from ya, Jack."

He blushed guiltily. "It's not that Sarah, it's just that I feel the same way, but I didn't wanna be mean about it."

"O.K. then, I guess," Sarah shrugged.

They stood there in an awkward silence, neither one knowing what to say now that they had broken up. The silence lasted for a few minutes until it was interrupted by a knock at the door.

It was now Sarah's turn to blush guiltily as she opened the door. On the opposite side stood Snoddy, one of the quieter newsies in the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House.

Jack could hardly believe it when Snoddy crossed the threshold into the Jacobs's apartment, wrapped Sarah up in a big bear hug and kissed her. "Good morning, me love."

"Me love? My, ya work fast, Sarah," Jack commented as he raised his eyebrows.

"Jack, I'm sure that you know Snoddy. I just started seeing him the other day," Sarah replied, not quite meeting Jack's questioning eyes.

"Well, I guess that I'll go and leave you two alone now," shaking his head in disbelief, Jack picked up his papers and made to leave.

"Oh, and Jack," Sarah called out just as Jack was walking out the door, "David mentioned that he was taking Stress out to have a picnic lunch in Central Park so if I was you I would avoid that area today."

Jack peeked his head back into the apartment and smiled at Sarah. "How did you know?"

Sarah chuckled. "You give me no credit. I saw the way that you was looking at her the other day and the look on your face when her name is mentioned is hysterical. Don't worry, Jack. She'll wise up and dump David soon enough. Who'd want him when they could have a cowboy like you?"

Jack tipped his cowboy hat in a mock gesture of gratitude. "Thanks Sarah. You're a doll." He laughed as he saw Snoddy's arm reach out and pull Sarah back into the apartment, shutting the door in Jack's face in the process.

Jack knocked the cowboy hat off his head as he let out a sigh of relief. "One down, two to go."


	18. Chapter 16

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Central Park**

It was supposed to be a glorious afternoon. After David had left Stress in Newsies Square with Stripes and Martini, he had gone home to prepare a picnic lunch for the two of them for the following afternoon. Now, though, as he sat in Central Park with Stress, he couldn't help but think that something was wrong. He just wasn't able to put his finger on it, though.

He glanced over at Stress. She was sitting right next to him but her mind was a million miles away from Central Park. She hadn't touched her food or said one word at all since she had finished selling her stack of papers. "Stress, is something wrong?"

She looked up at him and he could see sorrow written in her eyes. David knew at once that he didn't want to hear what she had to say.

"Naw...yeah. Actually there is," was all she said. She didn't know how to put it into words.

David's heart started to break in half as he realized what she might be trying to say. "Is it about me and you?" Slowly she nodded.

He took a deep breath. He knew this would be coming. He had had inkling that there was something going on between Stress and Jack; he had seen that at Tibby's, his house for supper the night they had met, even at the distribution center where they bought their papes in the morning. Yet he selfishly ignored his intuition so that he could have Stress all to himself. Though he knew in his heart that he was right, there was always the slight chance that he was the one that she loved. He had to make sure who it was, so he uttered the one word that would determine whether it was the beginning or the end of his relationship with Stress. "Jack?"

As she began to weep quietly, David knew that he was right. He put his arms around her and just let her cry.

When she had calmed herself, she looked into his blue eyes as tears stained her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Dave," she whispered, choking back more tears as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Though inside he was dying he knew that if it was truly how she felt then that's all that mattered. "Are ya sure?" he stopped when he felt he head nod into his chest. "Well, then I understand. I guess I've known all along but I didn't want to believe it. I know it don't mean much but I do care for you," he ended awkwardly.

"Oh, Dave, ya don't know what those words mean to me. And if this could happen any other way so that I could save ya from any hurt, then I would do it in a second. But I don't know what to do. I've been running from me feelings for too many years now and I just can't do it no longer. I would just end up hurting ya more if I pretended like I don't got feelings for Jack. And I don't ever wanna hurt you, but I just can't be with ya when me heart belongs to another guy-- even if he doesn't feel the same way. It just ain't fair to you."

David nodded as he understood what she was saying. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. Stress sighed in relief when she saw him nod. His acceptance of the truth meant everything to her. As much as she told herself she should stay with David, the truth was that she wanted to be with Jack. She couldn't ever give herself to David if she was still in love with Jack.

"You were my first real boyfriend that actually cared for me and I'll never forget you," she whispered as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then swiftly got up and walked out of the clearing, leaving David all alone.

David looked at all the food he had so lovingly prepared as it lay out in front of him. Now that he didn't have Stress to share it with, he wasn't in the mood for it anymore. After cleaning up his mess he decided to go have a quick bite to eat at Tibby's, hoping to drown his sorrows in sarsaparillas.


	19. Chapter 17

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**At Tibby's**

Grace was sitting all by herself in the same booth she had shared with Stress, Jack and David only two days ago. "Was it only two days ago? It seems like an eternity," she said out loud to no one in particular. Grace was right; a lot had happened in two days - even more than she knew. But she was about to find out.

Grace looked up when she heard someone call her name. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw David stroll up to her booth. "Do ya mind if I sit here with ya?"

Grace shook her head and gestured to the seat opposite her. "Where's your girlfriend?" she asked, trying to keep the bitterness in her voice down to a minimum.

"Girlfriend? What girlfriend? I don't got no girlfriend. But, if ya mean Stress, then she's probably out looking for Cowboy right about now." There was no disguising the hurt in his voice.

Though she put on a supportive front, inside Grace was jumping up and down with joy. "She dumped ya for Jack, huh?"

As David nodded she reached out and patted him on the arm. "Well, if ya ask me, those two deserve each other. Did you hear that Jack and your sister broke up this morning?" Grace had seen Crutchy, who Jack had already told, and Crutchy had given her the news.

David looked up in surprise and leaned forward in his seat. "What did Sarah do?" he asked, glad that he wasn't the only one who had their heart broken that day. His happiness lasted only seconds when Grace answered his question. "Nothing really. She's dating Snoddy now."

David slumped back into the booth. "So I guess that means I'm still the only loser with nobody."

"If it makes ya feel any better, I ain't got no one neither."

For the first time since they met, David actually looked at Grace. "Wow, you're very pretty," he blushed as the thought abruptly spilled from his lips.

Grace giggled. "Ya ain't so bad yourself, Dave."

David got a crazy idea. He didn't have anyone and neither did Grace so why didn't they just stick together? "Now, don't think that I'm only asking you this cause I'm on the rebound but how's about me and you get to know each other better? I mean, unless you're harboring a secret crush on the Cowboy, too," he added with a chuckle.

Grace couldn't believe her good luck. The boy of her dreams was asking her out. She didn't care if he was only asking her because he _was _on the rebound; David thought she was pretty! "I can honestly say that you're the only one that I got eyes for," she said as she leaned in to get her very first kiss from her new boyfriend.

**At the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

After spending the rest of the day getting to know her new boyfriend, Grace returned to the Bottle Alley Lodging House to tell Martini and Stripes the news.

When she entered the bunkroom there was only three girls already inside. While Mushie was in her bunk reading a book, Stripes and Martini sat talking to each other. When Grace came in, they scampered over to her. From the look on her face, Stripes and Martini knew that she had big news.

"You guys will never guess what happened taday," she said excitedly.

"What? What happened Grace?" asked Stripes.

"Yeah! Ya look like you're ready to explode," added Martini.

"I'm dating Dave!" she bubbled.

Stripes and Martini looked at each other, dumbfounded. "How are you dating Stress's boyfriend?" questioned Martini.

"Simple, they ain't together no more. Stress dumped him this afternoon. An' ya know what the funny thing is... Jack and Sarah broke up this morning too. Now we can get them together and everyone'll be happy!"

The dumbfounded looks on their faces quickly switched over to looks of elation. "Ya mean, our plan might just work?" squealed Stripes.

Martini cut in before they all lost their heads. "Remember, our work ain't finished yet just cause Stress and Jack are both single. Now we gotta actually get 'em together and I happen to have a good idea how we can."

Stripes, who had had enough experience with Martini's wacko plans, sighed. Grace, who had only been in Manhattan for a couple of days, asked "So, what's your plan?"

"Glad ya asked Grace. What we gotta do is convince Stress and Jack to go to Irving Hall tomorrow night together. Then, after they spend the night together, they'll realize how much they love each other and everyone'll be happy."

Stripes looked up at Martini pointing out the flaw in her plan. "How are we gonna get them to go there all by themselves?"

Martini shrugged. "I think that'll be fairly simple. We tell Stress tonight when she comes in that we're all going down to Irving Hall tomorrow night for a girl's night out. Then, tomorrow, we have Spot and Blink tell Jack that all the fellas are going there for a boy's night out. Then the only one's that'll go will be Stress and Jack," she announced as she smiled, obviously satisfied with her plan.

At that moment they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. As Stress entered the bunkroom, Mushie slipped unnoticed off her bunk and left the bunkroom in search of Bookie.

As Stress walked in slowly, the three other girls winked at each other. "So what have ya been up to today?" asked Martini innocently.

"Ya mean Grace here hasn't told you guys all about it?" Stress replied in a monotonous tone.

"What do ya mean Stress?" Grace asked, trying to play it off.

"Before I came back to the lodging house I ran into Boots. He was telling me how he saw ya and David kissing all over town today."

Grace blushed. "Oh, is that what ya mean. Well, ya know, ya did break up with him. Ya don't mind do ya Stress?" She was so happy that she was with David now, but she didn't want to date her friend's ex-boyfriend if she cared.

"Naw, you can have him. I ain't made to have a boyfriend. I'm gonna die an old maid," she sighed as she buried her head into her pillow.

"What about Jack then?" Stripes asked as she gave the other girls a meaningful look.

With her head in the pillow, Stress missed the look that Grace, Stripes and Martini exchanged, but she heard exactly what Stripes had said. "What do ya mean, Stripes?"

"You're telling me that ya didn't hear? Sarah and Jack are no longer dating as of this morning. He's a free man."

Stress couldn't help but wonder if their relationship had ended for the same reasons that her's and David's did. She could only hope that the kiss she had shared with Jack had meant the same to him that it meant to her. She shrugged nonchalantly, trying to hide her true feelings. "Oh, is that so?"

Martini let out a snort when she failed at stifling her giggles. Stress didn't realize how obvious it was that she wanted Jack more than anything. Yet she still insisted on masking her emotions.

Stripes shot her a warning look. "Well, Stress, what are ya doing tomorrow?"

"Now that me social calendar has cleared quite a bit, nothing."

Martini, trying to make up for her slip, continued. "Good, cause we're all decided to have a girl's night out tomorrow at Irving Hall and we want you to come with us."

"I dunno--"

Grace picked up. "Oh! C'mon. I think that ya need some time to forget your man troubles."

Stress smiled at their persistence. "O.K., O.K.. What time do ya want me to meet you girls there?"


	20. Chapter 18

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**At the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Mushie sat outside the lodging house for over an hour waiting for Bookie to arrive. She didn't dare go back inside on the off chance that Bookie would enter the bunkroom without knowing what happened.

She kept pacing back and forth, absent-mindedly patting her brown hair, as she waited. Luckily, just when she thought she was going to explode, Mushie spied Bookie sauntering down the block towards the lodging house.

Bookie stopped about two feet away from Mushie when she noticed the look on her face, one of annoyance mixed with excitement. "Uh-oh. Whatsamattah Mushie?"

"Whatsamattah? I've just spent the last hour waiting out here for you and all ya can say is whatsamattah? Your plan is shot to hell, that's whatsamattah!" she screeched.

Bookie grabbed Mushie's arm and dragged her to the corner at the end of the block. If something got Mushie this hysterical, she didn't want the other girls in the lodging house to find out about it.

"O.K. Mushie, calm down. Now what exactly happened while I was out with Race today?" Bookie asked calmly. There was no use getting all worked up over this like Mushie was. Bookie was confident that she would be able to fix the situation -- she always did, after all.

Mushie took a deep breath and started spilling out everything she had overheard. "O.K., I was sitting in the bunkroom with Martini and Stripes. While I was reading a book that I ... um... found in the marketplace today, those two girls kept whispering back and forth. Then, outta nowhere, Grace comes running in with this huge smile on her face. She starts telling Martini and Stripes about hout how Stress dumped David today and now Grace is dating him. And then she says that Jack and Sarah broke up today and Sarah's now dating Snoddy. So the only two people who are single now are Jack and Stress. What if they decide to start dating now?" she wailed to Bookie as she finished her story.

Bookie let out the air she hadn't realized that she was holding in. "No problem Mushie. We just make sure that they don't see each other 'til we can come up with another plan," she said, sounding very sure that, no matter what, she would succeed.

"Well, that's gonna be kinda hard. Martini and Stripes and Grace got this scheme to get them together at Irving Hall tomorrow night. They figure that Jack and Stress will spend the entire night together alone and realize that they are in love and leave the Hall as a couple."

Bookie let out a laugh. "They'll never get Stress to go to Irving Hall. Ya gotta wear a dress to get into there if you're a girl."

"That's what you think. When I was waiting for ya out here I overheard there conversation through that open window over there. Stress already agreed to go," Mushie said as she pointed to an open window over the Bottle Alley Lodging House entrance sign.

Bookie swore under her breath. "Of course she would decide to get all girly and go to Irving Hall, now. Why not? Damn. Wait a second. I think I gotta good idea. See ya later, Mushie," she called as she began to run in the opposite direction in which she had come.

Mushie stared after her and shook her head. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear about any more of Bookie's ideas, plans, operations or schemes.

**Back door at Irving Hall**

Not even stopping to catch her breath, Bookie opened the back door to Irving Hall and snuck in. Without looking around to see if there was anyone else in the back area of the theatre, Bookie continued running until she ran smack dab into a tall figure with red hair wearing a tight pink dress. "Bookie, is that you? What are you doing here so late?" the woman asked in a heavy Swedish accent.

"Hiya Medda. Is Violet working tonight?" panted Bookie.

"Sure, sure. My favorite new performer is getting ready to go onstage. She's in dressing room B right now. Go right ahead," Medda told her as she wiggled her long, fuzzy, pink feather in Bookie's face.

Bookie batted the feather away as she turned to run towards dressing room B. When she arrived at the room, she pushed the door open and spied the room's only occupant -- a tall girl, around the age of 18, with shoulder length straight blonde hair and sparkling green eyes, wearing a lacey lavender dress, was sitting in front of a mirror, singing to herself while she absent-mindedly twirled her own feather in her right hand. "I'm so pretty, oh so pretty, I'm pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty!" She stopped and swiveled around to face Bookie as she saw her reflection in the mirror.

"Bookie, darling! You haven't stopped by to see me in ages," she cooed, her voice dripping saccharin sweetness.

Bookie rolled her eyes. "Ages, Violet, you just started performing here two weeks ago. But never mind that. I need a huge favor from you."

"Sure thing, doll. Anything for my biggest fan," Violet replied as she turned to face the mirror again.

"I was hoping that you'd say that. Tomorrow night one of me friends is gonna be stopping by this here joint. He just broke up with his girl and he's kinda depressed. He needs a beautiful girl like you to cheer him up. You're an actress, do ya think that you could, ya know, cozy up to him and pretend that ya like him so that he don't feel too bad now that his girl left him."

Violet smiled. "Sounds like fun to me. What does this fellow look like? I don't want to mix him up with another guy, ya know. Though I don't think that any other guy would mind -- I mean, I'm the best actress this side of the Hudson."

Bookie ignored the conceited comment and proceeded to answer Violet's question. "Well, he's kinda tall, thick brown hair, brown eyes. Some say he's cute, but he ain't me type. I prefer short, dark-haired Irishmen who smoke. Anyways, he always has to wear a red bandana around his neck. Sometimes I think that's what keeps his head connected to his shoulders."

Violet's smile continued to widen. "As long as he's cute, I don't think that I will mind at all."

"Thanks Violet. Now I need ya to start pawing all over him the second he walks in the door 'til the second that he leaves. I really don't want him to be alone for a minute," Bookie said. She then added to herself, "Ee wouldn't want Stress walking in the one minute that he's alone or else me plan ain't gonna work."

"Sure, no problem. I'm off tomorrow so I'll just stick around by the door and wait for your friend to come in."

"Good, well I'm have to go. I'll talk to you later, Violet, and thanks again!" Bookie turned to leave but halted when she heard Violet call her name.

"Bookie, wait. What's his name?"

Now it was Bookie's turn to smile. "Oh, it's Francis. Francis Sullivan."


	21. Chapter 19

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

. August 6th 1899 .

**At the distribution center**

Once again, like every other normal day, all of the newsboys and newsgirls met and lined up at the distribution center to buy their papers. After they bought their papers, they all split up. For the third day running, the groups that paired off to sell together were different. Blaze and Bumlets, Wish and Skittery & Slash and Dutchy, all being the happy and not confused couples that they were, split up amongst themselves so they could spend the day with their loved ones. Race, Mush, Bookie and Mushie all set off together while Stripes and Martini paired off, after trying and to get Stress to go with them. Stress declined their invitation and also the invitation extended by Grace and David. Instead she headed off with Gip, Reeny and Holiday while Bittah and Midnight had Itey, Snitch and Boots as their selling group for the day. Blink and Spot (who wasn't allowed to return to Brooklyn until "Operation Happily-Ever-After" was over or else Stripes would soak him) latched onto Jack before he was able to go out by himself, like he had the day before.

**Down by Bottle Alley**

"Wow, I sold all of me papes mighty quick today," noted Reeny.

"That's cause ya only bought thirty papes," Gip reminded her.

"It was a bad headline, Gip," pouted Reeny.

"Reeny, Reeny, Reeny. What does Jack always say? 'Headlines don't sell papes...'" began Holiday, turning to look at Stress so that she could finish saying the rest of Jack's infamous line.

"'...Newsies sell papes.'" she finished in a flat voice. Stress couldn't help but feel like a fool. She had given up her relationship with David for Jack but Jack hadn't even looked in her direction that morning at the distribution center. She had thought that since Jack had broken up with Sarah, then maybe she and Jack could have a chance to get together or at the very least go back to the way they were when she had left for Queens. Yet the way that he had snubbed her that morning had made her laugh at her naivety. "I guess that our kiss meant more to me than it did to him," she thought sullenly.

Holiday, noticing Stress's mood, changed the subject. "Hey Stress, I just liked to say that I'm glad to have ya back here with us 'Singles'."

Gip chimed in. "Yeah, what would we do with out our fearless leader?"

Stress cracked a smile at Gip's sarcasm. She could always count on her friends to make her feel better. "Thanks guys. I missed you too. God, has this just been one crazy month or what?"

Reeny nodded in agreement. "Well, now that things are back to normal, we can all settle down and forget about guys. Who needs them anyways?" When all four girls looked at each other and said in one voice "Me!", Stress burst out laughing. She really had missed her friends. And, for once, none of them mentioned her relationship, or lack-there-of, with Jack. All she needed was just a girls' day out.

Remembering her promise to attend Stripes, Martini and Grace's girls' night out at Irving Hall, Stress figured that she better head back to the lodging house to get ready.

Gip looked at her in amazement when Stress announced that she was heading back to get ready for that night. "Stress, it's only four o'clock. You've got two whole hours before the first show down at Medda's."

"I gotta go get dolled up and who knows how long that'll take. Remember, maybe I'll find the man of me dreams down there tonight. I don't wanna look like a bum, like you guys," Stress teased, ducking the playful punches that the other girls gave her before walking back to the lodging house.

**At the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

Jack was prepared to tape both Blink's and Spot's mouths shut if they mentioned going to Irving Hall one more time. They had asked him to go with them that night ever since they had left the distribution center to go and sell their papers. The two of them had bugged him all throughout lunch at Tibby's and now that they were hanging out at the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House, Spot and Blink were still pestering him.

"C'mon, Jacky-Boy. How often do I get to go down to Irving Hall?" Spot complained. Stripes would be furious if he didn't convince Jack to go to Irving Hall by six o'clock. It was already 5:30 and time was getting close. Spot knew that it took twenty minutes to walk to Irving Hall from the lodging house, so they only had ten more minutes to get Jack to agree to go.

"I dunno Spot. How about every time ya visit us here in Manhattan?" answered Jack, highly annoyed. All he had wanted to do was spend the day with Stress but, in the hustle and bustle of buying their morning papers, he didn't get the chance to ask her to sell with him. He had tried to catch her eye but she had already set off with Reeny, Holiday and Gip. Instead, he got stuck with Blink and Spot, who had not stopped running their mouths about going to Irving Hall all day long.

"Why not, Jack? Ya haven't had the chance to see Medda since we won the strike. I here they got some new girl performers down there," Blink added, slyly jabbing Jack in the side with his elbow.

Though Jack was not at all interested in meeting any new girls, he finally gave in and nodded his acceptance. He knew that he would never hear the end of it if he didn't go with them.

"Good, let's go now!" Spot said as he grabbed Jack's arm and began to lead him out of the lodging house door. Jack sighed as he allowed himself to be led out of the lodging house before grabbing his arm out of Spot's grip.

They walked toward the Hall in silence. About three-quarters of the way there, Blink gasped. "Oh no! I left me lucky eye patch back at the bunkroom. I have to go and get it. Now!" He turned and started to run back to the lodging house. Spot called to Jack as he began to chase after Blink. "Jack, I'm gonna go help Blink find his lucky patch. We'll meet ya at Medda's in a little bit."

Jack shrugged and continued to walk towards Irving Hall, completely forgetting the fact that Blink only had one patch and he was wearing it. He approached the front door of the Hall and stopped for a minute before walking in. "I'll have fun with the fellas tonight and tomorrow I'll make sure that I get to sell with Stress." He shook his head; he needed to stop thinking about her for one night, otherwise he wouldn't have any fun.

As he walked in the door, he stumbled as he saw a tall blonde girl throw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He struggled to right himself as she began to plaster kisses all over his face.

Jack stood there, stunned, as this girl whom he had never seen before, started to talk to him through her kisses. "Wow. Bookie never said that you were this cute, Francis."

Jack went limp when he heard, over all the catcalls and music in the Hall, one very hurt and angry voice screech into the air, "Francis!"

**On her way to Irving Hall**

Stress felt like a princess as she walked down the street to Irving Hall. When she had arrived at the Bottle Alley Lodging House to get ready for her evening on the town, she found Blaze, Wish and Slash relaxing around the bunkroom as their boyfriends finished their selling. After Stress had explained to the other girls where she was going, the three of them helped her do her hair and put a little bit of make-up on. Wish had even lent her one of her red dresses to wear since Stress didn't own any herself. It was the first time since she had left Queens four years ago that she was wearing a dress, but she didn't mind. She was actually looking forward to having a girls' night out, a night where she could forget all about her guy troubles.

Before she knew it, she had arrived at Irving Hall. She started to look around, trying to find Grace, Martini or Stripes in the crowd around the entrance. When she didn't spot any of them, she wasn't surprised. They had told her yesterday that if they weren't there when she arrived then she should go inside and save them a table. Instead of waiting outside for a few minutes she decided to just go directly inside and wait.

As soon as she walked in the door, her eyes met an awful sight. Right in front of her was Jack, receiving a plethora of kisses from some tall blonde girl in a purple dress. As Stress stood there, gaping at the couple in front of her, she could make out some of what the girl was saying to Jack. "...this cute, Francis."

Stress was horrified. What the girl had said registered in her brain instantly. She knew Jack's real name! It had taken Jack almost two years to tell Stress the truth about his past, yet this ... this _dress_ knew it! She couldn't control herself as she yelled out to the room, "Francis!"

As tears of hurt sprang to her eyes, Stress saw Jack pull away slightly from the girl and look straight at her. Jack and Stress looked right into each other's eyes for an instant before she darted out of the room.

Jack couldn't believe what had just happened. All he had done was walk into the Hall and he had gotten attacked by this girl he didn't know. And, of course, Stress picked that exact moment to walk into the door. When he had looked straight into Stress's eyes he knew what she had walked in on, but also what it must have looked like to her and how, as a consequence, it must have made her feel. Without stopping to think, he escaped from the girl's clutches and ran right after Stress. "I'll make her see that she's the only one for me," he vowed to himself.

When he reached outside he looked from right to left and left to right, but there was no sign of Stress anywhere. As he let out a sigh of disappointment, he recalled exactly how she was dressed when he saw her standing at the entrance of the Hall. For the first time since he had met her that fateful day in the secret spot four years ago, he had actually seen her all dolled up in a dress. "God, she is beautiful. How did I never see that before?"

As he stood outside, lost in his thoughts, he tried to think of something that could help him out of his present predicament. All of a sudden he remembered the name that the blonde girl had mentioned: Bookie. "Maybe she knows what's going on." Praying he'd be able to find and talk to Stress later on, after she had had a chance to cool off, he went off to find Bookie, hoping against hope that Stress would forgive him. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong. This time.


	22. Chapter 20

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Running to the Jacobs's Apartment**

Though she tripped and stumbled in the heeled shoes she had borrowed from Wish, Stress ran faster than she ever had before. She was even running faster than she had the last time the bulls were chasing after her and Jack. It was as though the faster she ran, the faster she got away from Jack and his new "friend".

Stress tried to hold back the tears of anguish as she continued running. "It ain't gonna do me no good to cry," she scolded herself as the tears spilled down her cheeks. She roughly wiped them away as she tried to figure out where she should go. She knew that the Jacobs's apartment was closer than the Bottle Alley Lodging House, so she headed towards there. Besides, no matter what had happened between them, David was a good person and an even better shoulder to cry on.

Upon reaching the apartment she walked up to his door, shaking, and knocked. As she waited for someone to answer the door, she prayed that it would be David. She didn't think she could handle it if Jack's ex-girlfriend answered the door.

When David opened the door, Stress let out a sigh of relief while David let out an audible gasp. Standing at his door was Stress, but she was a wreck. Here hair was a mess, her dress was disheveled, the little bit of mascara she had let Blaze apply to her eyelashes had ran down her cheeks and there were tears in her eyes.

"May I come in?" she croaked out.

Getting over his initial shock of seeing her in this state, David stepped to the side to let her into the apartment. "Stress, what happened?"

She shook her head, choosing not to answer his question. "Are you the only one home?"

He nodded. "Yeah, Mama and Papa took Sarah and Les out to see a flicker. I'm waiting for Grace to come over."

Stress opened her mouth to tell David what had happened when the tears she had been trying to hold back came flooding out once more. Once they had started to flow, David could see the emotion of whatever had just happened as her shoulders heaved with every sob. Knowing something awful must have happened to get her to react in this manner, David threw his arms around her to show that he cared.

Grace chose that exact moment to walk through the door to the Jacobs's apartment, which Stress had neglected to close when she had entered. "Um...guys? Do ya mind telling me what's going on here?" Grace asked in an unnaturally high-pitched voice as she clenched her fists. "I thought you two split up. Whatsamattah Stress? Jack don't want you so you decided to come crawling back to me guy?"

David began to tell Grace exactly what she had walked in on and exactly what he thought of her attitude but paused when Stress laid her hand on his chest. Turning to face Grace, she began to tell the two of them what had happened at Irving Hall.

"Ya know what Grace? Say what you want cause I can't be hurt any more tonight. Ya see, I went down to meet you girls down at Irving Hall like I promised and ya know what I saw? No sooner then I walk in the door, I spy Jack and this other girl I ain't never seen before all wrapped up in each other's arms. She was even calling him Francis! Francis, can ya believe that!" she stopped and sank down onto the sofa in David's living room.

Grace looked sideways at her. "Erm-- Francis?"

Stress looked up. "Yeah, Francis. That's his real name, ya know. Well, actually, that's the point. No one knows his real name, but that girl did. Anyways, I looked up at him and I know he saw me but ya know what? He stayed right there with her, so I ran. I needed someone to talk to that I trust so I came here since it's pretty close to Irving Hall. I thought that Jack and me might have had something special but I see now that he was just using me 'til the next dress came his way," she added bitterly as she eyed the borrowed red dress she was wearing. It wasn't her and she knew it. She wanted more than anything to go back to her lodging house and change back into her comfortable grey slacks, but her legs didn't seem to be able to move.

Grace approached her guiltily, as she leaned over the sofa to give Stress a hug. "I'm sorry Stress. Me relationship with Dave is so new and I know how much he still loves ya. I was afraid that he'd leave me and I got jealous. Don't worry, I'm gonna help ya through this. Friends?" she asked as pulled away, then spitting in her hand and offering it to Stress.

"Friends!" Stress agreed, spitting into her own hand. Though there were still tears in her eyes, she was smiling. At least she had a few good friends that didn't want to play games.

As Stress and Grace shook hands they all heard a loud knock at the door. "I wonder who that could be?" David asked nervously. Apart from Grace and Stress, Jack was the only other friend of his who ever visited his home. But the girls didn't know that, so he wasn't going to tell them now. There was always the chance that someone else had decided to drop by for the first time.

No one is that lucky.


	23. Chapter 21

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Two Blocks from Irving Hall**

His mind focused on finding Bookie and Stress, Jack began to race towards the Bottle Alley Lodging House. Since they both lived there he had a pretty good shot at finding one or both of them there. Not paying attention to where he was running to, Jack ran right into someone, knocking them over.

"Hey, watch it buddy!'

Jack stopped to help them up. "Oh, I'm so-- Bookie, there ya are!"

"What do ya want, Cowboy?" she snapped, not very happy about being bowled over.

"I've been looking for ya. I got a bone to pick with you. Do ya happen to know an over-excited blonde girl down at Medda's? Cause I'll tell ya this much, she seems to know you," he said, using the good eight or nine inches he had over her to look intimidating.

Bookie gulped but didn't let down her guard. "And what if I do?"

"Well, that there blonde just ruined any shot I ever had at getting Stress to be me girl."

"Aww, ain't that a shame." Bookie replied, her voice oozing sarcasm. "Poor Cowboy, actually getting hurt by someone instead of the other way around."

"What's that supposed to mean, Bookie?"

"Ya know what I mean. You. Scab. The strike. Ringing any bells for you, Jack?"

"Ya ain't still ticked off about that are you? I said that I was sorry and everyone forgave me."

"Not _everyon_e," she said indignantly, sticking out her chin in defiance. "I still think that ya need to pay some more."

_"I still think that ya need to pay some more."_ Her words echoed in Jack's head as realization dawned on him. "_You_ told Stress to go down to Irving Hall tonight and then got that ditzy blonde to paw all over me so that Stress would see it. Didn't ya? Didn't ya!" he said as anger coursed through his body.

"No, actually, it was Stripes, Martini and Grace who told Stress to go to Irving Hall after they got Spot and Blink to get you there," Bookie corrected. "They all figured that you and Stress could spend the night together alone. Ya see, those five got this whole thing worked out to get you two to be together. But, yes, Violet, that ditzy blonde that ya mentioned, did do me a favor. I just don't think that you deserve to be with Stress."

Jack's eyes flashed as he spat out, "Don't ya think that should be up to her to decide?" With that, he turned to leave. Now that he finally understood what his friends had been up to the past few days, all he wanted to do was find Stress. But first he wanted to visit his pal, David, for some advice. Jack had heard that Dave and Stress had ended their relationship the day before and he thought that maybe Dave would be able to tell him why. "Maybe she broke up with him cause it was really someone else that she loved." He didn't want to jinx himself by thinking it was him.

Bookie stayed right where she was as she watch Jack storm off. For the first time since she had concocted her scheme, Bookie felt genuinely guilty. Just because she had a petty problem with Jack, she had gone out of her way to hurt him and make him miserable. Unfortunately she ended up hurting and making Stress miserable at the same time. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. "What have I done?" she said out loud to no one in particular. With a renewed sense of priorities, she promised herself, "I'm gonna try to fix this mess I made, somehow."

Jack was still fuming as he continued stalking off towards the Jacobs's. How dare anyone meddle in his and Stress's affairs? Things would have been fine if they would have been left alone to figure out their feelings for each other. And Bookie. He couldn't believe how far she had gone to get back at him for his mistake during the strike. As he found himself facing the door to the Jacobs's apartment, Jack took his frustrations out by pounding at the door.

**The Jacobs's Apartment**

David hesitantly went to answer the door. When he opened it and saw who it was, he quickly made to close it. Unfortunately for David, Jack rapidly stuck his foot in the door and proceeded to let himself in.

"Dave, who's at the door?"

Jack looked at David slyly and whispered, "Oh, so that's why ya didn't want to let me in. You're spending some alone time with your new girl. Let me just go say hello to her and I'll be on me way."

David opened his mouth to tell Jack that he didn't think that was a good idea but he was too late as he saw Jack strut into the living room. He sighed and followed him in.

"Hiya Grace! Remember me? The name's --" Jack's voice trailed off as he saw who was sitting on the couch next to Grace. "Stress! There you are. I've been looking for ya all over. We need to talk," he said as he made a move to sit down next to her.

Grace, still seething over what he had just done to Stress, was appalled at how he tried to play it off like nothing had happened. Before anyone could stop her, Grace stood up, walked over to Jack and, with all the strength she could muster, slapped him across the face.

Stress took that opportunity to leap off the couch and jet out the door. With a look of hatred towards Jack and an apologetic shrug to David, Grace took off after her.

"Umm... O.K., what just happened here?" Jack asked as he sat down on the couch in a daze, rubbing his sore cheek. "What was Stress doing here anyways? I thought that you two weren't together no more."

David looked at Jack dead in the eye. "We did. She came here cause she was real upset at seeing you in the arms of another girl. I thought that you two weren't dating. Why would that make her upset Jack? Do ya know?" David asked, though he himself knew the answer. He was quite anxious to know if Jack knew the answer as well.

Jack blushed violently and didn't say a word.

"Alright then, Jack, let me ask you another question. How do you really feel about her?" David continued, a part of him dreading hearing the answer to this question. Though he was now dating Grace, and was happy to be, the truth was that he had not gotten anywhere closer to getting over Stress. He knew that he would always love her, even if that love was channeled into a close friendship. But he also knew that what Jack had to say would help take away her pain even if it did hurt him to hear it.

Jack looked up at him. "Really really?" David nodded. "Well, simply put, I love her. I love everything about her. I love the way her hair frizzes after it rains. I love the way she always have to yell the loudest when we shout the headlines. Her competitive nature, ya know. I especially love the way her eyes sparkle mischievously when she tells me all about the latest prank she pulled in the lodging house. It took me a long time to admit it to myself but I really do love her." When he had finished his last sentence, he looked away. As he has said each word aloud to David he had known that it was the truth, though right now he doubted if Stress would ever speak to him again.

"Well, if it makes ya feel any better, she feels the same way about you."

Jack looked back over at David. "How do you know that?" he questioned, begging it to be true.

"She told me yesterday. She said that she couldn't date me when her heart belonged to another even if that other person didn't feel the same way."

"But I do, I really do. How can I make her see that?" Jack pleaded with David.

"It might help if you didn't run into another girl's arms right in front of her," David said pointedly.

"But Dave, Bookie put that girl, that Violet, up to it. She had Violet walk up to me and start kissing me all over once I walked into the door of Irving Hall, I swear. That's what Stress saw, honest."

David looked at Jack in surprise. "In that case, we're gonna need a little more help. Stress is really upset and I don't think she's gonna be too forgiving. I think that we better get Martini and Stripes for this one."

Jack looked over at David in amazement. "Ya knew about them too?"

David chuckled at the look on Jack's face. "Don't you worry, Jack. We'll figure this all out tomorrow."

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Though she could still hear Grace running right behind her the entire way, Stress didn't stop until she entered the bunkroom. Though almost all of the other girls were already in for the night, Stress's eyes rapidly scanned the room for the two girls she wanted to speak to. When she spied them conversing on Stripes's bunk, Stress stalked over to them.

"Why?" she asked them, plainly and simply.

"Uh, Stress? What happened?" Stripes asked, taking in her appearance.

"Why did you do that to me? Did you want to see me humiliated? Did you want to see me look like a fool?" she thundered, unable to control her rage.

Stripes tried to appease her by speaking gently. "Stress, what are you talking about?"

"Jack," she hissed between her teeth, "You two knew he'd be there with that... that girl! And you sent me there to see it, didn't ya!"

Martini looked visibly guilty. "Well, we kinda knew that Jack would be there but he was supposed to spend the night there with you, not some other girl."

"I guess that he didn't know that cause when I got there he was getting kisses from this blonde girl in a dress."

Bookie overheard the conversation, as did the rest of the girls in the bunkroom - it was that loud - and realized that now would be the perfect opportunity to make up for all the problems she had caused. "Stress, I gotta tell you something."

Stress turned to face Bookie. "No, not right now, Bookie. I ain't in the mood to talk no more. I'm going to bed." She calmly walked over to her bunk and got in. Once she was safely under her covers, she made a decision. "Tomorrow, I'm gone!"


	24. Chapter 22

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

. August 7th 1899 .

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Early the next morning, even before the sun had come up, Stress woke up and quickly wrote a note. Creeping around quietly so that none of the girls would wake up, she left the note on her pillow. With one last look around the bunkroom, she sighed and left.

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

About an hour after Stress had left the Bottle Alley Lodging House, there was another person up and about. Carrying a single rose that he had "borrowed" from a street vendor, Jack snuck up the stairs to surprise Stress. He figured that if he woke her up in bed then she might be more susceptible to listening to his side of the story of what had happened the night before, and maybe, just maybe, be willing to forgive him.

He tiptoed ever so quietly into the bunkroom, thinking about how much trouble he would get into if Mrs. Cook found him in the girls' bunkroom that early in the morning. Jack paused, looking for her bunk - the first top bunk on the right - and let out a gasp of shock upon finding it empty with only a note on her pillow. He frantically grabbed at the note, his fingers unable to work. After a few failed attempts at picking up the piece of paper, he snatched it and brought it up to his eyes, using the moonlight that shone through the window to read her writing.

_ Dear Everyone,_

_ Please don't feel hurt but I no longer can live here with you guys. This life has just gotten too complicated for me. I've decided to just go over the Bridge for once and for all. And I'm sorry, so sorry, to be leaving you all. Goodbye._

_ Stress_

_P.S. Please tell Jack I'm sorry. I wish I could have the nerve to do it myself, but I don't._

Jack fell to the ground next to Slash's bunk as his knees buckled beneath him. He looked up as Slash's eyes opened slightly. "No, Jack. What are you doing here, in me dream? I only dream of Dutchy," she mumbled as she rolled over and went back to sleep.

Jack barely noticed that she had said anything at all. According to the note that he was clutching in his hand, Stress was going to jump over the side of the Brooklyn Bridge. He knew how terrified she was of bridges and it was a common joke that she would never go to Brooklyn alone because she needed support to get her to cross "the Bridge" in one piece. He knew that it was extremely serious if she was using the Bridge to end the complications in her life. "I've gotta go after her!"

Picking himself up off the ground, Jack placed the note into his pocket and placed the rose on her pillow. Without stopping to think, he ran right back down the lodging house stairs, hoping to find Stress before she did anything drastic.

**The ****Manhattan**** Side of the ****Brooklyn****Bridge**

Stress looked apprehensively over at the Bridge that stood towering before her. She had left the lodging house hours ago with the intent to cross over the Bridge and start fresh in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, her immense fear of bridges kept her grounded on the Manhattan side, where she had been sitting since she had arrived. She had been working on getting the nerve to cross the Bridge for the past hour but found herself unable to move.

Staring at the water underneath the Bridge, she let her thoughts wander. "I know I should just stay here and not run away from me problems. Me father is probably rolling over in his grave to see me running away. I should just go back to the lodging house and just forget about Jack. I hope he's happy with his new girl," she said as she tossed a few pebbles into the water, sulking as she mulled over her dilemma.

Meanwhile, as Stress sat there facing the Bridge, Jack was quickly approaching the foot of the Bridge. He hastened his pace, praying he had got there in time. He wasn't sure how much of a lead she had had leaving the lodging house that morning, or how quickly she had walked to the Bridge.

As he got closer to the Bridge, he saw a lone figure watching the sunrise. When he got closer he noticed it was a girl with brown hair and when he got closer still, he recognized her - it was Stress. He let out a silent whoop of joy and began to run toward her. When he was only a few feet away from her, he slowed down and snuck right up behind her.

Once he was able to sneak up right behind her without her noticing, he just stared at her back for a moment. He composed himself, and, extending his right pointer finger, he tapped her on her shoulder. He was so relieved that Stress hadn't left him that he could only think of one way to say hello properly.

Stress was startled out of her stupor when she felt someone's presence behind her. Worried because she felt someone tap her on her shoulder, she slowly turned around.

As soon as Jack saw her begin to turn around, he wrapped his arms around her upper body and started to kiss her, like he had that night in their secret spot. Just like last time, he felt her resist his advances at first but she relaxed slowly as she became lost in his kiss. Yet, as if she just realized what situation she was in, Stress broke away from his embrace before she could totally melt into his arms.

As she wiggled out if his arms, she stopped to face him with tears filling her eyes. "Why do you hafta keep playing games with me heart? I hate you, Cowboy! I hate you!" she screamed as she turned and ran in the direction Jack had just come from.

Jack stared after her in shock as he watched her storm off from him for the fourth time in two days. "Well, that wasn't the reaction I expected at all."

**Back at the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

"Hey, girls," called Midnight as all the Bottle Alley lodgers were getting ready to go to the distribution center to buy their papers, "had any of you seen Stress today? She ain't in her bunk, only this here rose is," she added as she waved the red rose that Jack had brought.

While all of the other girls had responded with No's, Slash looked up thoughtfully. "I ain't seen Stress, but I think I saw Jack here early this morning. Or that might have been in me dream. I ain't too sure."

"Oooooh! You're dreaming about Jack! I'm gonna tell Dutchy!" taunted Blaze.

Slash responded to Blaze's teasing by throwing her pillow in Blaze's direction. She missed and hit Wish in the face, instead. Wish retaliated and threw her pillow, bypassing both Slash and Blaze and hitting Gip in the chest. All of the girls then picked up their pillows and started throwing them around the room, until Mrs. Cook's voice could be heard over the entire racket they were making.

"Girls! Those papers aren't gonna sell themselves, ya know! Let's go!"

As the girls all dropped their weapons and hurried to finish getting ready, all thoughts of anything amiss promptly left their minds.


	25. Quick poll

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Quick poll for you'se guys!  
  
I am writing a sequel for this story. Knowing that Jack and Stress eventually get together and based on how they act in this story, should they stay together in the sequel or not Almost all of the other characters will be married or engaged (the sequel takes place 5 years after this story) and I was wondering what to do with their relationship! Let me know what you think! Thanks! And thanks for reading this story! I appreciate and welcome all reviews! Only a couple more chapters to go 'til the end…  
  
  
  
~**STRESS**~  
  
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	26. Chapter 23

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

An hour or so after all the other girls had left to sell their papers, Stress trudged back up the lodging house stairs and threw herself into the bunkroom. Hoping that they ignored her note now that she had decided she was going to just stay put, Stress went up to her bunk to retrieve it. But when she used the side of Slash's bunk to see the top of her own, she was surprised to see that the only thing there was a single red rose sitting on her pillow.

She covered her mouth with her hand as she realized what must have happened. Jack probably had gone to see her at the lodging house that morning, carrying the rose, and dropped it there when he found her note. Now that she thought about it, it was **Jack** who found her at the Bridge so soon after she had left the lodging house that morning, so he must have seen her note, which, of course, would have told him exactly where she was going. And, she flushed at the memory as she ran her finger across her lip, he had kissed her again. She felt herself getting giddy all over. "Maybe... No," she said as she snapped out of her momentary daze, "no, you gotta stop fooling yourself. You're back here now and you don't need him. After all, he proved that he doesn't need you last night at Medda's, huh? Just go on with your life and forget all about one Francis Sullivan." She picked up the rose, holding it to her nose briefly so she could smell its sweet perfume, and then proceeded to toss it right out the open window.

**At Tibby's**

Jack slowly plodded into Tibby's, with the weight of what had happened that morning resting on his shoulders. If it wasn't for their promise of help, Jack would have never left the Manhattan Newsboy's Lodging House to meet Stripes, Spot, Martini, Blink, Grace and David for dinner.

He spied the six of them all squeezed into the corner booth, talking animatedly with huge smiles plastered on their faces.

Jack absolutely hated happy people when he was feeling so miserable.

He continued walking into the restaurant as slowly as he could manage. When he finally reached the booth, he pulled up a seat from a neighboring table so that he wouldn't have to squish in with the rest of them.

Blink looked at Jack's upset expression. "Whatsamattah, Jack? You look like you just lost your best friend."

"Ya know what, Blink. You're exactly right. I _did_ just lose me best friend," Jack replied testily.

Stripes groaned. "What did you do to her now, Cowboy?"

"Ummm... well, this morning I decided to drop by you girls' lodging house and see if I could talk to Stress. I even brought her a rose. But--"

"That was your rose that we found?" interrupted Martini.

"Yeah, I know that she likes daisies better but that was all I could find this morning. Anyways, like I was saying, I go over to her bunk to wake her up and she ain't there. Only this here note is," he said as he fumbled through his pockets. When he found the piece of paper, he tossed it to David, who began to read it out loud.

_ Dear Everyone,_

_ Please don't feel hurt but I no longer can live here with you guys. This life has just gotten too complicated for me. I've decided to just go over the Bridge for once and for all. And I'm sorry, so sorry, to be leaving you all. Goodbye._

_ Stress_

_P.S. Please tell Jack I'm sorry. I wish I could have the nerve to do it myself, but I don't._

"But, before we left to come here, I was talking to Stress down at Bottle Alley," Grace said, looking incredibly lost.

"Hold your horses, Grace. I'm getting there. Ya see, when I read that note I thought that she meant she was gonna jump over the Brooklyn Bridge and I panicked. I didn't know how far ahead of me she was so I ran all the way down to that bridge."

"But, Jacky-Boy, me bridge is --" started Spot.

"I know Spot. I almost passed out from that run, but it was worth it cause when I got there Stress was sitting by the end of the Bridge. I was so happy that I ran right up behind her and I tapped her on the shoulder. When she turned around, I gave her a hug and I began to kiss her again--" Jack was cut off when David whimpered "Again?" Jack ignored his question and continued with his story. "But this time she didn't kiss me back at all. She told me she hated me and ran back here, crying the entire way. I tried to get into the lodging house to talk to her, but Mrs. Cook said that I wasn't allowed in."

Everyone turned in surprise when they heard Martini start to giggle. "That's O.K. Jack, cause, this time, have I ever got a doozy of a plan. Trust me, it's so crazy that it's got to work!"

As they all leaned in to hear what "brilliant" plan Martini had come up with this time, a huge smile came to Jack's face. Right then he was so desperate he was prepared to do anything, anything that would prevent him from losing Stress.


	27. Chapter 24

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

. August 8th 1899 .

**At the ****Distribution****Center**

Because Jack was anxious to mend his relationship with Stress, today was the day of Martini's "brilliant" plan. They figured if this didn't work, nothing would.

Martini, Blink, Stripes, Spot, David and Grace all arrived at the distribution center early so they could be the first ones to buy their papers and split up before anyone else arrived. While Spot, Blink, Martini and Stripes were to go get ready for the "brilliant" plan, David and Grace were to get Stress to sell with them so that they would be able to lure her into the trap they were setting her up for. Jack was not selling today, instead spending the whole day at the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House, preparing it for his part of the plan.

When Stress arrived at the distribution center with Bittah, Gip, Reeny, Midnight and Holiday, she was surprised to see that only Grace and David were waiting for the rest of the girls outside of the gate. Normally all of the newsies waited together until they split up into groups to sell their papers.

As she entered the gates and got on the line to buy her stack of papers, Stress tried to ignore the pangs she felt upon noticing that Jack was not at the distribution center. "What did you expect? You told him yesterday that you hated him. Did you think he wanted to sell with someone who hated him? I think not!" the little voice in Stress's head spoke up. Oblivious to the crazy looks that Bittah and Midnight were exchanging behind her back, Stress answered the nagging little voice. "You shut up. I don't hate him and you know it. No matter what I say, I still love him. But I'm gonna forget about him." She shook her head as she paid for her papers and accepted her stack. "Forget all about him, that's what I'm gonna do," she continued as she walked down the stairs and passed Grace and David.

As she walked passed, lost in her own little world, Grace winked over at David. "Heya Stress, ready to sell with us today?" Grace called, lengthening her stride so that she was walking side by side with Stress.

"What? Uh-- actually, I was hoping to sell alone today," she responded, snapping out of her daze.

Grace and David exchanged a worried look. It looked like their plan was failing. Their plan was not allowed to fail. It was their job to make sure it didn't.

It was David's turn to try and salvage their plan. He stepped in front of Stress, causing her to stop in her tracks. "I'd really like it if you sold your papes with me and Grace today. What do ya say, Stress?" he added, giving her a "sad puppy-dog" look.

Stress began to feel guilty. She at least owed David that much after all she had put him through those last few days. She slumped her shoulders and nodded. "Sure Dave, why not? Let's go."

**Walking to Tibby's**

Grace could hardly contain her excitement. She and David had spent their entire morning occupying Stress so that the others could set up everything they needed for Martini's "brilliant" plan. Now it was time to actually put phase two of the plan into action. "Ya know what, girls? I'm kinda hungry. Ya wanna go to Tibby's to get some lunch?" David asked, right on cue.

Sensing Stress's hesitation, Grace jumped in. "Sure, sounds good to me." She grabbed Stress's arm and began to drag her in the direction of the restaurant. After Grace was positive that Stress would actually follow them to the restaurant without running off to someplace else, she let go off Stress's arm, opting for David's hand instead. Content that their part of the plan was going smoothly, the couple walked off a little quicker, creating a distance of a few feet between themselves and Stress.

Stress couldn't believe that she was actually tagging along as the third wheel on David and Grace's date. "I should just go on back to the lodging house and leave these two al--" she stopped mid-thought when she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. She scolded herself for her insecurities when a quick look behind her told her she was wrong. There was no one out of the ordinary behind her at all.

She increased her pace to catch up with Grace and David, remembering that there was always safety in numbers. "Good, only three more blocks 'til we get to Tibby's." She stopped again as the sickening sensation in the pit of her stomach grew even stronger. This time, though, she didn't turn around to see who was behind her, instead walking a tad bit quicker, just in case. "Only two more blocks now. C'mon, why are you so paranoid today, anyways?" she asked herself. "I just need to cross this here alleyway an I'm there." As she went to walk past the entrance to the dark alley on her right hand side, she squealed as a hand reached out and pulled her into the alley.

With one arm wrapped around her waist and the other clamped tight over her mouth to muffler her screams, Stress was dragged into the alley. She heard someone follow her and her captor into the alley and, with the help of the faint sunlight in the alley, saw that there was two figures along side her in the alley-- both dressed in head to toe black with matching masks which prevented her from knowing their identities.

While the shorter of the two kept his hold on her, no matter how hard she struggled, the taller one took a bottle and a dirty rag out of his pocket. Rapidly dousing the rag with a mystery liquid, as it splattered every where, the taller figure approached Stress.

As the taller one approached her, with the hand clutching the soaked rag outstretched, Stress felt the shorter one remove his hand from her mouth. Before she had the chance to let out a scream, the taller figure clamped the rag over her mouth. Stress tried not to breathe in any of the substance that was on the rag, but after thirty seconds of holding her breath, she exhaled the carbon dioxide and breathed in the fumes of the wet rag.

The last image Stress saw before blacking out was the two figures shaking hands and congratulating each other on a job well done.

**All Black Around Her**

"Where the hell am I?" Stress wondered as she woke up, feeling groggy, cranky, disoriented and really pissed off. It was pitch black outside, but she didn't think that she had been knocked out that long. It took her a couple of minutes before she realized that it was only that dark because her eyes were covered with a blindfold. She sat there for a few moments and suddenly, when she realized that she was sitting there blindfolded, she jerked as she remembered what had exactly happened. She was scared out of her mind and began to scream like a banshee. When all that came out of her mouth were muffled yells instead of piercing screams, Stress realized that she had also been gagged.

When she realized that the screaming wasn't going to help her at all, she stopped, trying to conserve her energy in case she needed to escape. As she tried to calm down and think rationally, she focused on where she could possibly be.

She could tell by the way that she was positioned that she was tied, though not too tightly, to a high-back chair. As she thought about what kind of situation she could be in that would merit her being bound, gagged and tied to a chair, she did the only thing she could think of, no matter how little it helped: she screamed continuously.


	28. Chapter 25

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**The Lobby of the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Stripes, Spot, Martini and Blink all watched nervously as Jack paced back and forth across the lodging house lobby. "Hey Blink, tell me again what you guys used to knock her out? It's been over an hour now and I ain't heard no sound coming from the bunks yet," he asked for the hundredth time since he helped Spot and Blink carry Stress up to the bunkroom.

"I've told you already. Me buddy said it ain't gonna hurt her. It' s just something to knock her out for an hour or two," Blink responded, speaking as if he were explaining it to a two-year old child.

"I don't know how I let you guys talk me into this. She's gonna kill me when she finds out that we drugged and kidnapped her, then tied her up just so I could talk to her. Martini, you must be crazy. This ain't never gonna work. I just can't go through with this!" Jack cried as he continued pacing back and forth, back and forth.

"Don't worry Jacky-Boy. Once she hears what you have to say, I'm sure that she'll forgive you for doing this to her." Spot tried to calm him down, but at the same time he couldn't say it without crossing his fingers behind his back. He didn't want to upset Jack but he was glad that they had tied Stress to the chair so that she couldn't hurt any of them when she woke up. She had a mean right hook when she was angry and there was no doubt in his mind that she would be very angry.

All of a sudden Stripes, who was sitting on top of the bottom step of the lodging house stairs, started shaking her head and pointing up the stairs. "I think that I just heard someone trying to scream up there. Do ya think she's awake now?" she whispered.

Jack paled and shook his head. "I didn't hear nothing, did you?"

Martini put her finger to her lips and walked up the first three stairs. "I did, but not no more. Why doesn't someone go check up on her?"

No one was surprised when every single pair of eyes in that room turned to Jack. "O.K., O.K., I guess I'll go check on her and make sure she's fine."

He moved slower than molasses towards the stairs. Spot and Blink, after looking at each other and sighing, walked up behind Jack and gave him a shove up the stairs. "All right guys, I can take a hint. Geez." Jack started to climb the steps but stopped when he distinctly heard muffled shouts.

"Go!" yelled Spot, Blink, Stripes and Martini in unison.

Jack shrugged and ran up the rest of the stairs. He slowly creaked open the door and saw that, at once Stress stopped shouting. She must have heard him walking up the stairs. He took in a deep breath of air and decided to go for it. As he slowly entered the bunkroom he asked her shyly, "Are ya awake, Stressie?"

**The Bunkroom of the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

This time, at least, her screams got a reaction. Almost as soon as she started to yell, she heard someone thunder up a flight of stairs. She stopped when she heard a door creep open and felt someone's presence hanging around the doorway. "Are ya awake, Stressie?" a soft, male voice hesitantly called.

Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, she would have known who it was by the name he had used. _Stressie._ She started to yell obscenities at her captor and was disappointed when they were censored by the gag she still had in her mouth.

She felt her captor come closer and knew he had paused when she no longer heard footsteps on the floor. She flinched at his touch when she felt him start to untie the knot that kept the blindfold on her eyes.

It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the sunlight pouring in through the window but when she had the ability to see again, she confirmed what she had suspected. She was sitting, tied to a chair, in the bunkroom of the Manhattan Newsboys Lodging House.

"Stress...," Stress turned her head to face Jack as she shot him the evilest look she could manage considering she was still gagged and tied to a chair. "Now, before you get angry and soak me, let me explain."

Stress tried to ask him "How are you gonna explain this?" but it only came out as grunts, thanks to the gag.

Jack pointed to the gag. "That was Spot's idea. We all know how much you like to talk but I gotta tell ya something real important and I really want you to listen to what I have to say, O.K.?"

Stress turned her head away in defiance. She did not want to listen to anyone who had her tied up like a Christmas present. It was August, for Christ's sake! Christmas wasn't for another 4 and a half months!

"I expected that, but I'm gonna talk anyways." Jack took a deep breath before beginning. "Well, I guess I'll start with what happened at Medda's the other night."

Stress cocked her head to the side. She was obviously listening to what he had to say without looking him in the eye.

Jack, taking heart from the fact that she was at least willing to listen, continued. "I know what you think you saw but that ain't what you saw. What I mean is, I ain't never seen that girl before. Your _friend_, Bookie, set us up so that you would see me and her together and never speak to me again! And it almost worked! So after I left Medda's, I talked to Bookie and went off looking for you. When I didn't find you, I went to ask Dave for some advice. You fell in love with him in one day and I wanted to know what he had that I didn't." Jack was pleased to see that at those words Stress had began to blush. She really was listening to him spill his guts. "But when I got there, you was already there and you ran out on me with out giving me a chance to explain what had happened. An' then yesterday morning I went to the lodging house to talk to you but instead I found your note. When I read the note I thought that you was gonna jump off the bridge. That's why I kissed ya with out any warning. I was just so glad that you wasn't floating in the water. But you ran away from me then, too. That's why I had to get you here like this today! Since you tied to that chair and all, there's no where for you to run to, so you gotta listen to what I'm been trying to tell ya. I mean, what I wanna say is -- I love you!" Jack blurted out, not sure how to say it the right way. He quickly turned his head so that he wouldn't see her reaction. All he could do was hope she wouldn't laugh.

Stress looked up at him and started to speak. Well, at least tried to speak. Jack, realizing that he wouldn't be able to understand anything she said while still wearing the gag, raced over behind her and started to untie it.

When she felt the gag fall away from her mouth, Stress opened her mouth to respond to Jack's last statement. "I don't understand, Jack. What do ya mean?" she asked, forgetting for the moment that the guy standing in front of her had just orchestrated her kidnap.

"Just what I said, Stressie. I... Love... You," he said simply as he bent down to untie her from the chair. He had a feeling that she wouldn't be running away from him anymore.

Just like Jack thought, even after she was completely untied, Stress remained seated in the chair. "No, Jack. This is some kind of sick joke. You thought that it would be funny if you guys tricked me here, ya told me that you loved me and then turned around and ran off with some girl in a dress." Stress refused to believe that a word of what Jack was saying was true lest he broke her heart entirely.

Jack smiled as he lifted her out of the chair and laid her on a bottom bunk, since she had made no sign of moving herself. He knew that the chair would be uncomfortable after sitting, tied to it, for two hours. "No joke, I swear. I love you and I've always had."

"Stop saying that! You don't mean that!" she screeched as she covered her ears with her hands.

Jack reached over and gently took her hands off of her ears. Sitting down on the bunk right next to her, he turned and looked straight into her eyes. "You gotta believe me. I've loved you since that day I met you and rescued you from your past. It just took me 'til now to realize that. I've waited four years, please don' t make me wait no longer," he pleaded as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.

Stress felt her defenses slipping away as she stared into his big brown eyes. She was prepared to forgive him for what happened at Medda's, for the incident at the Bridge, even the mock kidnap. But if he was playing games with her now, he would live to regret it.

As she sat next to Jack, letting everything he was saying to her sink in, Jack decided to go ahead and take the plunge. While Stress was silent and thinking, Jack leaned forward and began to kiss her with a passion that would be sure to tell her exactly how he felt.

This time, though, Stress put up no resistance to his kiss. She immediately responded, throwing her arms around his shoulders, rolling on top of him on the bunk.

They laid in that position for a few minutes after their kiss ended, every now and then their lips reaching up to meet again. In that one action, everything that needed to be said between them, was said. Well, not everything.

With her head lying on Jack's chest, Stress murmured, "I love you too, Jack."

Though Jack heard her say it, he pretended not too, just to make sure. "What did you say, Stressie? I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you."

"I said that I love you, ya big lug!" she giggled as she reached for his cowboy hat. Jack started to tickle her and they both fell off the bunk and onto the floor, laughing.

When Jack playfully pinned her to the floor, he asked Stress the question she had been longing to hear. "Stressie, would you do me the honor of being me girl?"

Stress looked up at him with what could only be described as pure love in her eyes. "I thought that you'd never ask," she answered as she reached up to give him another kiss.


	29. Chapter 26

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**The Lobby of the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

"Do ya think that we should go up there and check on them? We left her alone with Jacky-Boy for over an hour now and I'm sure she must've waked up by now," Spot questioned nervously, worried for his friend.

"I think so. I mean, what was that bump on the ground we just heard? Do ya think that Stress killed him when she found out what we done to her today?" Blink asked, fiddling with his patch.

Stripes added her two cents in. "Ya know, I wouldn't blame her if she killed him. I mean, look what we did to her. Whose plan was this anyways?"

Everyone turned to glare at Martini, who all of a sudden became very interested with the detail on Kloppman's desk.

They all stopped fidgeting and turned to face the bottom of the stairs when they heard the door of the bunkroom finally open.

All four of them let out a huge sigh of relief when they saw both Stress and Jack enter the lobby, holding hands and wearing identical goofy grins. "Hiya guys, what are you doing here?"

Blink's jaw dropped open as he addressed Stress. "You ain't mad at us for what we done to you today?"

Stress, noticing that both Blink and Spot were dressed in head to toe black, laughed. "All I have to say is that I don't think black suits you two as well as it suits Stripes. I still can't believe that you two were able to get me here in the first place. You needs to work on following people; I knew that someone was there the entire time. And, besides, how can I be mad at me new boyfriend's pals?" she added with a smile as she walked over to Stripes and Martini and enveloped them in a giant bear hug. "Jack told me what you guys done. Thanks girls, I owe you one."

"Don't forget about us, Stress. We helped them, too, ya know," Spot said, feeling left out.

"Of course Spot," she giggled as she swept over and gave both Blink and Spot a kiss on the cheek. "But, I bet Stripes and Martini made you two do it." Her giggles turned to guffaws when she noticed both Spot and Blink blushing at her comment. "How did I guess?"

Jack, looking a bit jealous at the attention Stress was paying to the other two guys in the room, cleared his throat. "Uh, Stress? I hate to break up your little party here but don't you got one more thing to take care of today?"

Stress's eyes twinkled as she gave Jack a quick kiss. "Yup, I sure do." She grabbed Jack's hand. "I guess I'll see you guys later."

As they left, Martini glowed. "See, I told you guys that me plan would work."

She was silenced when Blink, Spot and Stripes all threw their hats at her. As she tried to duck the barrage of hats, Martini cried, "What? Was it something I said?"

**Bottle Alley Lodging House**

Bookie paced nervously back and forth while Race tried feverishly to calm her down. "Bookie, walking back and forth like that will only make you more wound up. Remember, just explain to Stress that you did all you did cause you wanted to do to save her from any hurt. I'm sure that she's gonna forgive you," he added matter-of-factly.

Bookie continued pacing while sneaking a look over at Mush and Mushie, who were snuggling together on Gip's bunk, then turned to face Race. "Well, let me tell you, if I was Stress, I don't think I would forgive me." She was worried thay after being kidnapped by Jack and the rest of her friends, Stress might find out about Bookie's role in the entire affair.

"Did I just hear someone say me name? I hope you saying nice things about me."

Bookie stopped pacing upon hearing Stress's voice. "Stress, hi there." She was surprised to see Jack. She didn't really think that Martini's plan was going to work.

"I hear you have something you wanna tell me, is that right, Bookie?" Stress said, smiling.

Bookie took Stress's smiling as a good sign and began to tell her side of the story. "Ya see, when you was in Queens, we all had that strike here against Old Man Pulitzer. I'm sure Jacky-Boy had told you all about it so I ain't gonna go into all of the details for you. But, ya know, after the strike was all over, I was real mad at Jack for turning scab so I figured that, for revenge, I'd keep him from the one thing that would keep him happy -- you. I kept telling meself that I was doing it for you. Ya know, keeping you from being hurt by a good-for-nothing liar. But then, after everything that I put you two through, Jack helped me to realize that I was hurting you too," she paused to face Jack. "You was right, Cowboy. It should be up to Stress to decide if she loves you or not. I'm sorry about all that I done. I really think you two would make a great couple," she added, turning back to see what Stress had to say about her confession.

Still smiling, Stress reached over and gave Bookie a hug. "Don't you worry. I forgive you. Just do me a favor. Next time ya want to help me, just let me know first."

Bookie laughed as she returned the hug. "Sure, Stress, sure."


	30. Chapter 27

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

****

**_TO THE PRESENT_**

**August 8th 1900**

**At the Bottle Alley Lodging House**

"...an' ever since, me and Jack have been a couple. It still amazes me that after all we been through, we're still very much in love." Stress finished her story with a long sigh, getting swept up in the memory of it all.

"Wow" was all Princess could say. She had just spent the last four hours listening to Stress relive the story of how she had gotten with her boyfriend of one year. "That is such an inspiring story, Stress. But I just can't get over one thing though. You dated David, I can't believe you. You're just so...so... different."

"Well, like I told you in me story, he's sure is one great kisser," she said before she stopped her sentence as she broke into a fit of giggles. "By the way, Princess: what time is it?" she said, pointing to the ladies watch hanging on a string around Princess's neck.

"Oh, shoot, Stress. It's just about two o'clock now. Isn't that the time you were supposed to meet Jack for your anniversary celebration?" Princess reminded her.

"Yeah, you're right. I better go now. See ya later, Princess." Stress stretched her arms and got up to leave. After saying good day to Mrs. Cook, Stress left the lodging house.

As she stopped to marvel at the gorgeous summer day before her, she ignored the two figures clad in black as they crept up behind her, a damp rag in one of their hands. She didn't sense their presence until the shorter of the two clasped the rag in front of her mouth.

As everything in front of her became fuzzy and she felt herself being tossed over someone's shoulder, Stress thought to herself, "Now, why does this seem so familiar?"

**The Bunkroom of the ****Manhattan**** Newsboys Lodging House**

About an hour or so after she was knocked out, Stress felt herself regaining consciousness. For the second time in her life she found herself slumped in a high-backed chair with her hands tied behind her back and a blindfold on, covering her eyes. Unlike last time, though, she was relieved to know that she didn't have a gag stuffed in her mouth.

Instead of being frightened and screaming her head off, she called out merrily "O.K., I'm awake again!"

She grinned when she heard someone come thundering up a flight of stairs and walk over to her to take her blindfold off.

She gasped when she saw a table, with lit candles in the middle, all lay out with homemade food. She turned her head to say something to Jack as he untied her from the chair. The words were lost as she sat in shock, staring in amazement at Jack. He stood in front of her, wearing knickers suit given to him by Pulitzer, carrying a single red rose in his right hand.

"Oh, Jack, it's so beautiful. Is this all for us? I really don't know what to say, except I love you!" she cried as she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a deep kiss. When they broke apart, Stress looked right at him, sternly and added, "Oh and if you have Blink and Spot kidnap me ever again, I will personally soak all three of you."

Jack chuckled as he placed the rose on her plate and kissed her sweetly on the lips. He then turned to whisper huskily in her ear, "I love you too, Stressie. Happy one year anniversary!"


	31. Thank You's and Promotion

**Title**: One Year Anniversary

**Author**: Stress

**First written**: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002

**Edited and replaced**: August 9, 2005

**Summary**: _Part III of the Soul Mates Series_; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.

Hi everyone! It's me, Stress! This little chapter right here is just to say thank you to those who were nice enough to read my story and tell me what they thought! They are so incredibly awesome that I think they deserved their own page:

+ Holiday

+ Lucky

+ Moth

+ Princess

+ Martini

+ Bookie

+ Stripes

+ Blaze

+ Gip

+ Wish

+ Corky

+ Bittah

+ Iris

+ Athena

+ Gemini

+ Loops

+ Queenie

+ Mushie

+ Reeny

+ Sab

+ Loch

+ Stardust

+ Gears

+ Quirky

+ Espy

+ Annie

+ Twist

+ Satine

+ Gav

+ Discord

Also, don't forget to check out my sequel: Can't Keep Running.


End file.
